Mathematics has played a major role in the creative expansion of art and science. In Dr. Vesna’s lecture “Mathematics Part 1” she states that “math is a system of symbols and rules of organization”. What I realized after hearing that is if i were to define art or science in my words, it would be similar to this definition. Science, art, and math relate to each other through their use of linear perspective, patterns, and their need to use calculations in order to create.
In Linda Dalrymple Henderson’s article “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion”, she expresses that the fourth dimension and non-Euclidean Geometry have encouraged artists to create new forms of art. Henderson claims that both non-Euclidean geometry and the fourth dimension were “primarily a symbol of liberation for artists” (Henderson, 205). It fascinates me that these concepts have allowed artists to portray their 3-dimensional perception of nature onto a 2D plane through the 4th dimension.
Anamorphic Mirror
Dr. Vesna mentions Brunelleschi who was an artist that was credited to have the first correct formulation of linear perspectives. Linear perspective is a “mathematical system for representing 3-dimensional space onto a flat surface”. Brunelleschi calculated the length of both objects and pictures and its distance behind the plane of a canvas. This process allowed him to understand vanishing points where all parallel lines in the plane meet. After looking over “Lesson 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art” by Marc Frantz, I have learned that The Vanishing Point Theorem has allowed artists to portray their perspective without any distortion as he states on page 7. Calculating a vanishing point and having parallel lines meet is what builds an artists perspective of nature. This has allowed me to understand how math is incorporated in art. The precision artists have to have in order to correctly display their perspective is something I didn't acknowledge before.
Perspective Drawing for Church of Santo Spirito in Florence
Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott showed me the significance of expanding our knowledge by exploring new findings. The Square in the story became aware of the third dimension and began to question nature. Just like Square, humans have questioned endless possibilities and that has allowed us to expand our knowledge. Our curiosity has allowed mathematicians to discover the Mandelbrot Set which has shown us Fractals that show beautiful endless patterns.
Fractal
Works Cited
Wolfram MathWorld. (n.d.). Mandelbrot Set. Wolfram MathWorld. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://mathworld.wolfram.com/MandelbrotSet.html
Vesna, Victoria. Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov. YouTube, YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&ab_channel=UCOnline.
“Flatland.” Flatland, by E. A. Abbott, 1884, http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/eaa/FL.HTM.. “Flatland.” Flatland, by E. A. Abbott, 1884, http://www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/eaa/FL.HTM.
Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo, vol. 17, no. 3, 1984, pp. 205–10. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1575193. Accessed 15 Apr. 2023.
Frantz, M. (n.d.). Lesson 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art. Retrieved April 15, 2023, from https://www.cs.ucf.edu/courses/cap6938-02/refs/VanishingPoints.pdf
Images Cited
Brunelleschi, F. (n.d.). Filippo Brunelleschi - 13 artworks - sculpture. www.wikiart.org. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.wikiart.org/en/filippo-brunelleschi
Deutsche Bank headquarters. (n.d.). Anamorphic Mirror. Art+Com Studios. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://artcom.de/en/?project=anamorphic-mirror.
BEYER, W. O. L. F. G. A. N. G. (2023, March 8). How Fractals Work. HowStuffWorks Science. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/math-concepts/fractals.htm
Hi Shelly! Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful post. I really liked your discussion of Brunelleschi, as I also discussed Brunelleschi in my post. I appreciated your acknowledgement of the precision that artists often incorporate into their artwork. I also liked your discussion of Flatland and the Square in the story. I wonder if you personally related to Square? Or if you just thought of Square as a pseudo-human? Thanks again for your post!
ReplyDeleteHi Shelly. I really liked how you described art and the sciences to have similar definitions. I believe that they both are tied together by math. Not only does art rely on math, but it makes art much easier and better all around. Calculations and measurements help art with perspective and making it more realistic. For projects that are not supposed to be realistic, math is still needed to create some geometric patterns.
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