A Sierpinski carpet is a two-dimensional surface that has no surface. Theoretically, that is. You take a square and divide it into nine squares. Then you remove the middle. Take each of the eight squares left and divide them into nine. Remove the middle. Continue until infinity.
It was rather difficult to get to infinity. Awfully small squares and infinite time.
When I decided it was close enough, the similarity to cosmic diagrams of esoteric Buddhism struck me, and also the one and the eight repeating. In Hindu-Buddhism the numbers one and eight are special. The Buddha is one, and then there is the eight-fold path. So I painted a faint image of a meditating Buddha in the center square. In the real painting it is much harder to see. The camera sees more than the eye in this case, and adjusting the color didn't help. The eight-spoked wheels on the eight green squares are printed on and are also more hidden than in the photo.
Every once in a while I get an irrational urge to paint something like this, even though this is not how I usually work. Some day it may make sense.
