Week 2: Math and Art
15 April 2018
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| Flatland Ideas: 3-Dimensional Shapes in 2-Dimensions |
My first experience with the combination of math and art was in my 8th grade geometry class where my professor showed us Flatland: The Film, which was a computed animated film based on the 1884 novella Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. I thoroughly enjoyed this expansion of mathematics, because I had never thought of shapes or lines in that unique way. Since I personally live in a three dimensional world, the idea that there could possibly be more dimensions “crossing over” into our dimension for communication or other purposes really opened my eyes to how intricate math could be when combined with imagination or other artistic insights (Abbott).
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| Aestheometry Example |
When I was little I had a different encounter with math and art, and at the time I didn’t actually understand that what I was doing could in any way even be related to math. The process was called Aestheometry, and is where straight lines are created in a way to show implied curves in artwork (Cummings). The image to the right truly highlights this process, with the colors and lines creating an illusion of curvature. This illusion is what makes the combination of math so interesting, because the geometry of the shape itself would never have given way to such a beautiful creation without both the strict mathematical geometry of straight lines and the artistic addition of colors into the image.
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| Hyperbolic Crochet by Diana Taimina |
Diana Taimina demonstrates the ultimate combination of both art and mathematics. She was able to create a medium for a subject mathematicians had accepted as too complicated for traditional visuals. Using crochet, Taimina became known for her precise hyperbolic plane creations, which could be seen in both museums made for math and art exhibits. I believe the lesson here is that if more mathematicians, or even scientists, had exposure to different artistic mediums, there could be more unusual and creative solutions to some of the most complicated equations of the universe.
References
Abbott, Edwin. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. London: Seeley and Co., 1884. Print.
Cummins, Scott. “Aestheometry Designs - Art & Geometry.” Teachers Pay Teachers, www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Aestheometry-Designs-Art-Geometry-374133.
“Daina Taimina.” Daina Taimina | Crochet Coral Reef, crochetcoralreef.org/contributors/daina_taimina.php.
Kehe, Jason. “A Guide to Flatland: What It's Like to Live in Two Dimensions.” Wired, Conde Nast, 20 Nov. 2014, www.wired.com/2014/11/geometry-of-flatland/.
Lang, Robert J. “Origami Mathematics.” Origami Mathematics. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.langorigami.com/science/math/math.php>.
Oullette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine. Kalmback Publishing Co., 01 Nov. 2001. Web. 13 Apr. 2017. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>.
Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>
Hello Julianne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an insightful post related to this weeks topic art and mathematics. I never saw the film, flatland so during this weeks readings, I was a bit confused trying to navigate thorugh it, but after readings your little synopsis, it definitely makes more sense now. One thing that really stood out to me was how you said math is only an illusion. I always thought math was related to numbers but then again theres geometry. It was a great example showing how straight lines added with a little bit of color can make such an amazing art form. I do remember in middle school getting those quadrant planes and random points to put but after connecting all the dots it made a specific figure or drawing which is similarly related. Despite all this, I can not stop thinking about how closely related mathematics and art is and they go hand in hand. I enjoyed reading your post and it definitely opened my eyes to a whole new presence to this topic I had never thought about. Thank you!
Hi Julianne,
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you integrated your own personal experiences with math and art to describe how astonishing things can occur when the two are combined. One thing the really stood out to me that you said was about how math in a way is an illusion. Personally, I completely agree with you. If we really think about, the entire system of numbers was created by humanity. If math was never created, I am sure that humans would have created another means of calculating things. Your blog really inspired me to think further about the connections between math and art and question social norms that are accepted today without and reason.