WEEK 2: MATH + ART

      I now realize that mathematical principles can be and have been used to create some of the most beautiful art in the world.  Some of the mathematical concepts that have been used for the purpose of art are the fourth dimension, the concept of perspective, vanishing point, and the golden rule. 

     Henderson’s analysis made me recognize that many of the three-dimensional artworks paintings that you see today are a product of artists adopting the mathematical concept of a fourth dimension. Keith Lay through his performance “Four Dimensions” shows how the concept of the fourth dimension is continued to be utilized to create amazing visual and auditory works of art (Selikoff). 

Selikoff, Nathan. “Four Dimensions.” Nathan Selikoff, 2012, nathanselikoff.com/works/four-dimensions . 

         Additionally, I found Edwin A. Abbott’s explanation of how the shape of a penny changes depending on the angle in which you view it extremely insightful. It helped me understand how many of the visual effects you see on movies, television, or live performances employ their knowledge of perspective to create different illusions. 

            Marc Frantz’s description of “The Vanishing Point Theorem” enabled me to make sense of how artists came about creating a lot of the landscape images. It is interesting, for when I think about scenic images I often only think about it as an artistic genius but now I also recognize that creating such picturesque moments requires some mathematical knowledge. 

 

 Frantz, Marc. Figure 3. Parallel Lines in the Real World Whose Images Converge to a Vanishing Point. 2000. 

         Finally, the mathematical concept utilized for art that struck me the most was the golden rule. When I think of the Mona Lisa, I think of artistic genius. There is a sense of mystery around it too, for it was unclear to me how such a magnificent work of art could be so perfectly created. However, now I recognize that Leonardo De Vinci actually juxtaposed math and art to create this piece (Atalay). He utilized his knowledge of the golden rule to curate the Mona Lisa.  

 

 Bailey, Jennifer. “Mona Lisa Golden Ratio .” The Golden Ratio and How to Use It in Graphic Design, 2019, 99designs.com/blog/tips/the-golden-ratio/. 

     Although now I am a STEM major, growing up I loved painting. However, my approach was very mathematical. I would draw grid lines to aid my perspective to draw the scenery or figure. Since my approach was quite scientific, I felt like I was not creative or artistic enough to pursue painting so I stopped. This unit enabled me to understand that even great artists employed mathematical principles, and math, science, and art are not polarizing fields that never interact rather fields that are constantly working with each other. 

SOURCES: 

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo, vol. 17, no. 3, 1984, pp. 205–210. 

Selikoff, Nathan. “Four Dimensions - Real-Time Audio-Visual Performance.” Nathan Selikoff, 5 Sept. 2014, nathanselikoff.com/works/four-dimensions. 

Abbott., Edwin A. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. 1884. 

Frantz, Marc “Lesson 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art” 2000 

Atalay, Bülent. “Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo Da Vinci.” Physics Today, American Institute of PhysicsAIP, 1 July 2005, physicstoday.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.2012465. 

Selikoff, Nathan. “Four Dimensions.” Nathan Selikoff, 2012, nathanselikoff.com/works/four-dimensions . 

 Frantz, Marc. Figure 3. Parallel Lines in the Real World Whose Images Converge to a Vanishing Point. 2000. 

Bailey, Jennifer. “Mona Lisa Golden Ratio .” The Golden Ratio and How to Use It in Graphic Design, 2019, 99designs.com/blog/tips/the-golden-ratio/.