The Mystery of the Puzzle Pot

The Victoria and Albert museum in London, England is the proud owner of an 18th Century puzzle jug:

What makes this jug interesting is that liquid stored in the belly of the jug can't be poured; the decorative holes adorning the neck cause the liquid to spill. How surreal... a jug that doesn't work. Or, does it?

This artist, Michelle Erickson, has solved the mystery of how to access liquid from the 18th Century puzzle pot. Interestingly, the secret of unlocking the utilitarian nature of the jug lies in an algorithm. And even more interesting is the video depicting a probable method of construction:

The Shape of Space

Al Held plays with the shape of space and is not shy about explicitly incorporating mathematical forms with in his artwork. Held began as an Abstract Expressionist and taught at Yale University for decades.

In fact, Held felt that his artwork explores "spatial conundrums...." the juxtaposition of spatial entities intersecting in three-dimensional space represented on a two-dimensional plane. A conundrum, indeed.

For similar problems in mathematics, search for "toroidal space."

To fins out more about Al Held and further parallels between his art and math :

Al Held at the Sheldon Art Museum

Al Held Obituary from The Times Online

Al Held at the Brooklyn Museum