Sunday, April 10, 2016

Math & Art


Touching on "two cultures" and how the educational systems in place today have reduced perspectives, Richard Buckminster Fuller's theory of 'De-Geniusing' sets the stage perfectly into my reflection and analysis proving how mathematics and art are essentially embedded within one another and inseparable. As individuals we evolve as we grow older and as we grow older, we loose our connections to the limitless realms of possibility and perspective. We forget the basic principles of the flawless designs surrounding us and the explanations behind them. We forget that the foundation of art is mathematics and that mathematics is an artistic expression and language all its own.

The way we view the world around us is through PERSPECTIVE and the way we duplicate what we see and reproduce it is by using mathematical principles to formulate our executions. As Brunelleschi stated, the geometry of what you're creating needs to be correct to guarantee that the viewer see's what you intend them too. Visual interpretations rely on math - a beautiful reciprocal arrangement.



Artist, Maurits Cornelis Escher, gained recognition from mathematicians worldwide with his unbelievable structures and sculptures that reflected his knowledge in math and science. Specializing in projective geometry, M.C Escher's tessellation's and polyhedra's combine both geometrical shapes on a plane or as a solid to create almost impossible looking art pieces. I found his work fascinating and personally am addicted to my Mandala coloring book filled with tessellations.














Next, Origamist Robert J. Lang's explanation of what we thought we knew about origami and how it's more mathematical than we thought also really stood out to me. In his Ted Talks video, Lang goes into detail describing just how connected math is to the science behind origami and the intricate designs that are possible to create when the math checks out correctly. Its not a surprise then that all four rules in origami are math based!



Leonardo Da Vinci is definitely my favorite artist and mathematician from our lecture. Da Vinci's main goal was to re-create realities seen through his own visual perspective - using mathematical formulas measuring distances. Da Vinci was so driven and dedicated to his goal that he was able to fuse math and art together in the closest ways possible. His "Vitruvian Man" in 1487 made such a huge impact in history that it is still used a symbol of the connectivity between art and science. Below, you can see the human body perfectly proportioned in relation to measurements, size, and fractions as a whole. Da Vinci was only able to execute such an iconic piece of work with the help of Roman architect Vitruvius. Without Vitruvius' mathematics and measurements, who knows what Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man could've looked like today.



Sources:
 "Artwork: Shishapangma I, Opus 599." Shishapangma I, Opus 599. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. 
Frank, Priscilla. "This Mandala Coloring Book For Grown Ups Is The Creative's Way To Mindful Relaxation." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
 "Science & Nature: Vitruvian Man." BBC Science. BBC. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. 
"The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher." The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
"The Math and Magic of Origami." Robert Lang:. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. 
"Thoughts of Buckminster Fuller." Whole Earth. 1998. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. 




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