Cosmic Fourier Fabric (2023), a knitted textile work by Channing Hansen, gives form to the artist’s research on cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), understood as the afterglow of the big bang, or the residual heat of creation. To determine the work’s composition, Hansen used NASA’s 3-D modeling data of CMBR from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, the Planck probe, and the Fourier transform equation to seed an algorithm. Knitted into a pattern that corresponds to the algorithm, Cosmic Fourier Fabric models an infinite-dimensional topology: space-time as a literal fabric, or the big bang as canvas.
Channing Hansen
Channing Hansen is a polymath who draws inspiration from the inherent beauty he finds in biological processes, genetic patterns, chaos theory, fractals, and the Fibonacci sequence. His artworks take the form of vibrantly colored, framed textiles he handknits according to algorithmic plans generated by a custom software program. These intricate plans echo the precision of DNA sequencing, and Hansen’s translation of them into textiles mixes traditional artistic methods and craftsmanship with scientific principles foundational to our understanding of the world.