Emily Garfield

Emily Garfield is an artist who creates intricate maps of imaginary places, exploring the origins of cities and the function of maps themselves.12 Her artwork is inspired by the visual language of maps and the fractal similarities that cities share with biological processes, such as the patterns of cells and neurons.1

As a Community Synapse Architect at SciArt Center & Magazine, Garfield is involved in organizing events that bring together artists, scientists, and technologists. For example, she recently promoted a SciArt virtual mixer scheduled for June 25, 2023, from 2-4 PM ET.3

Artistic Work

Garfield's recent artwork includes:

• The Agglomeration series
• Cityspace series (e.g., Reach, Triad, Pathways)
• Quadrants series
• Splatter-generated terrain pieces

Her artistic practice extends beyond traditional mediums:

Multimedia Projects:

• Creating maps that can redraw themselves
• Developing a "Portals" series

Computational Art:

• Using Processing and Axidraw to explore maplike determinism
• Producing data-driven artwork, such as the Central Park series

Commissions:

• Designing holiday cards using digital drawing, robotic pen plotters, and traditional media
• Creating large-scale works like the "Boston-Cambridge in 10 panels" piece

Workshops and Presentations

Garfield is also active in education and outreach:

• Conducting interviews about her work and its connection to science
• Leading Bio-Art workshops at Genspace
• Offering workshops at Cambridge Friends
• Teaching collage stop-motion animation workshops4

Through her work, Emily Garfield bridges the gap between art, science, and technology, fostering a community of interdisciplinary creatives and researchers.