Sunday, April 12, 2015

Unit 2 - Math + Art




Butterfly Curve - Mathematical pattern

Math has a major impact on both art and science which gives yet another reason why the two are not so different from each other. As mentioned before, I am a math major who has also taken many science and computer classes so I understand sciences’ strong dependence on math. Even though I have less experience in art, I also know how math can be used in art in unique ways, depending on the medium.



You can see the 4 dimensions mentioned in Flatland



Flatland is an example of literature with a mathematical background.  The novel itself is even written in the style of a math or science book, due to it being split into sections. Edwin Abbott’s novel contains characters who are simply shapes, that are either zero, one, two or three dimensional to represent the different worlds that exist in the novel. Using these basic math principles, Abbott created an entire world with its own set of rules and hierarchy based on the shape of the citizen. Circles are classified as the highest status due to their uniform shape and having an infinite amount of sides (more sides equate higher status). 





Penny on a table







An example of a normal convention of their world is how they see each other. The citizens of Flatland can only see each other as lines and it is through physical touch or viewing the shading of the lines that citizens could tell who is what shape. A. Square, the main character, explains how citizens see each other in the same way anyone would veiw a penny on a table from the edge of the table.







Origami Cardinal


Origami is another art form that relies heavily on geometry to create a perfect and consistent origami sculpture that ranges from easy to very difficult construction.










My next example is one of my favorite practices I learned in art class and is the use of a vanishing point. Using a vanishing point gives depth to artwork through the use of slanted lines that converge to a single point. The use of a vanishing point helps create artwork that’s more realistic as it imitates how the human eye functions.

Delivery of the Keys - Vanishing Point Artwork

The use of math can help create compelling and beautiful artwork which explains why many artists choose to use math to aid them in their creative work. This highlights the difference between art and science through how they use math. Sciences focus more on computational results while art uses math principles to create art. The fact is, math is important for both art and science.



Citation

Butterfly Curve. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://mathb.hyde.wikispaces.net/AP+Calculus+BC+-+Jonynas>.

Flatland Cover. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Flatland-A-Romance-of-Many-Dimensions-Audiobook/B007X5EQVO>.

Abbott, Edwin Abbott, and Ian Stewart. The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Pub., 2002. Print.

Penny on a Table. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Flatland_(first_edition)/This_World>.

Lang, Robert J. Cardinal, Opus 658. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.langorigami.com/art/art.php>.

Delivery of the Keys (Perugino). Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delivery_of_the_Keys_(Perugino)>.
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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 15, 2015 at 11:20 PM

    I think the example of how math can inspire literature in Flatland is fascinating. I think the hierarchy created by the different shapes can be applied to racial disparity and/or social status in our world. The fact that they can only view each other as lines maybe goes to show that their differences are unimportant.

    As an art student, I've practiced the vanishing point method to create perspective. However, it was not until recently (when my drawing professor gave a demonstration) that drawing with traditional linear perspective is not completely truthful to how the eye perceives the world because of its conical vision. I was surprised to hear this as I thought the Renaissance artists' technique of capturing realism in nature was flawless.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 15, 2015 at 11:33 PM

    I think the example of how math can inspire literature in Flatland is fascinating. I think the hierarchy created by the different shapes can be applied to racial disparity and/or social status in our world. The fact that they can only view each other as lines maybe goes to show that their differences are unimportant.

    As an art student, I've practiced the vanishing point method to create perspective. However, it was not until recently (when my drawing professor gave a demonstration) that drawing with traditional linear perspective is not completely truthful to how the eye perceives the world because of its conical vision. I was surprised to hear this as I thought the Renaissance artists' technique of capturing realism in nature was flawless.

    ReplyDelete

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