Datum: Hidden Structures by Carrie Ann Plank
Saturday, March 7th 2026 - Sunday, April 26th 2026
Upcoming Programming:
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Join us for the Opening Reception of Carrie Ann Plank and Jylian Gustlin's Solo Shows: Saturday, March 7th, 2026 from 4-6PM | FREE
RSVP to the Opening Reception here!
- Beginning Stencil Printing Workshop: Saturday, April 18th, 2026 from 12- 4PM | $100 including all materials, ages 16+
“I like to make work that rewards close observation. I want to have all these little extra bits in it so you really get up close and spend the time with it.” – Carrie Ann Plank
Carrie Ann Plank believes math is a universal language. As a printmaker based in San Francisco, CA, she explores scientific phenomena and mathematical equations to reveal the substructure underpinning our world. Carrie Ann does not use any computer applications in her practice, instead drawing only from hand to create distinct visual patterns of data and abstract structures.
A deep believer in collaboration, Carrie Ann works closely with scientists and mathematicians to explore themes such as harmonics, atomic substructure, optical interference, and topics within the particle acceleration field. For Carrie Ann, having an innate excitement towards the data and equations she researches is paramount to the art she creates. She shares, “I try to find the people who are doing really interesting things, and if it's interesting to me too, then maybe that becomes the basis of a level of inquiry or a body of work.” Central to her practice is that each topic must have aesthetic possibilities, ensuring the work is as equally luscious to look at as it is deeply intentional in revealing patterns and substructure.
Her artwork rewards close observation as she creates multiple overlaying patterns and interactions. On view is a broad survey of Carrie Ann’s most recent six bodies of work that reveal the substructure concreting our reality by visually breaking down equations to their base components. Her printmaking practice is inherently experimental, and this exhibition includes new large-scale paintings that cross-pollinate printmaking and painting methods to create unique editions. One set of large-scale paintings is made of multiple one-of-a-kind woodblock panels that interlay painting by hand, showcasing her talent for creating subtle color shifts to create intricate detail and depth. The other paintings on view demonstrate Carrie Ann’s intricate stencil work, creating space that illustrates super-transparent layers within a two-dimensional surface.
Carrie Ann’s artistic process takes time. Her exploration of mathematical structures and scientific data is more than conceptualization. Her work demonstrates that the complex ideas she undertakes require intense labor and untold hours of creating, inviting us to slow down and look closely at the substructure that surrounds us.
Carrie Ann Plank’s work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in museum and private collections around the world. Her work can be found in the Fine Art Archives of the Library of Congress, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco’s Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, the Guanlan Print Art Museum in China, Museum Meermanno in The Hague, Netherlands, and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba. Prior to committing to her art practice full-time in 2018, she served as the Director of the Printmaking MFA & BFA Programs at the Academy of Art University.
Carrie Ann Plank is a San Francisco-based artist working in installation, printmaking, and painting. Her work focuses on sophisticated geometric layers, using mathematical equations to create overlapping impressions that reveal new and distinct pattern formations. By examining the intersections of these patterns, she explores the space between them, often referencing scientific data and abstracted structures, such as those seen in electron microscopy and mathematical order theory.
Carrie Ann’s process involves adapting traditional printmaking techniques—like woodcarving, serigraphy, and intaglio—to create unique works. She starts with drawings that are translated into multiple wood carvings, layering transparent inks and transferring them to substrates. This approach allows her to embrace the precision of printmaking, producing detailed marks that cannot be achieved with a brushstroke, while offering the ability to repeat and refine her creations. The physicality and tradition of working with a printing press are central to her process, providing both challenges and rewards as she layers colors and marks to reveal intricate details.
Carrie Ann's work is exhibited internationally and held in numerous collections. In addition to her art practice, she is deeply involved in the Bay Area arts community, serving on boards such as Root Division, California Society of Printmakers, and Art for AIDS. Collaboration is also a key part of her journey, as she consistently partners with corporate, academic, and scientific institutions to access materials and ideas. This allows her to merge intellectual property, imaging techniques, and artistic exploration. Before fully committing to her art practice in 2018, she spent 20 years teaching.
