about a magic Square read http://artcenter-nnj.org/

The Magic Square

“MAGIC SQUARE”
By Edla Cusick

In 2011, I painted nine abstract cityscapes, using six-inch square canvases, and a “pigeon” palette of grey, brown, black, dirty white, milky coffee, puce and so on. In 2012, I realized that nine squares make a square.

Now arranged three by three in a tight square, and attached to a board to a board with Velcro, each square can be rotated in four directions, and each square can be moved to occupy any of the nine spaces.

There are lots of ways to look at the “Magic Square.”
“How many?” I asked two mathematicians, my husband and an old friend from Bryn Mawr College.

The answer? Four to the ninth power [4x4x4x4x4x4x4x4x4] multiplied by nine factorial [9x8x7x6x5x4x3x2], or 95 billion plus!

There is no correct arrangement of the nine pictures, no right answer. But you may want to:

1 – Arrange the nine squares to your liking and leave a signed “snapshot” of your arrangement on this site.

2 – Challenge the math. We trust our experts, but if you come up with a different answer, let us hear it. 95 billion does sound like a lot.

3 – Exercise your own creativity. This modest bit of abstraction with more than 95 billion possible versions is a metaphor for art, which also has no right answer and a lot of possibilities.

The Art Center of Northern New Jersey, in New Milford, N.J., welcomes you as a student or a supporter. Thanks for taking the time to look at the “Magic Square.”

http://artcenter-nnj.org/magic-square-edla-cusick/