Eli Bornowsky
Eli Bornowsky’s (b. 1980, Alberta; lives/works New York) paintings and works on paper make use of mathematics and computer programs to generate unique optical rhythms. Often characterized by dense, non-repeating patterns of tessellated shapes, his work’s algorithmic origins are grounded within a luminous, painterly abstraction. By combining chance operations and colour theory with inexhaustible aperiodic sequences, he produces complex surfaces that vibrate with unsettled energy. Compositions are cropped from a potentially infinite plane of coloured tiles and meditatively rendered in the iconographic medium of egg tempera, adding a tactile and historic dimension to the computational designs. In foregrounding a set of rigid and overlapping rules, Bornowsky questions the freedom of artistic expression to emphasize the free looking of the viewer. Through his work, Bornowsky bridges the gap between the scientific and spiritual, balancing mathematical precision with contemplative devotion.Bornowsky holds a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, and an MFA from Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. His solo exhibitions include Kings Leap (New York, 2024, 2021); Canton-Sardine (Vancouver, 2020); Burnaby Art Gallery (2014), and Western Front (Vancouver, 2010); with group exhibitions at Kayokoyuki (Tokyo, 2021); White Columns (New York, 2021); Vancouver Art Gallery (2016, 2009); Richmond Art Gallery (2015); Burnaby Art Gallery (2013); and Ottawa Art Gallery (2014). His writing has been published in Fillip, C Magazine, and Pyramid Power, and in numerous exhibition catalogues.