Previous to this week’s lecture, Art and Math have always been two very distinctive, independent entities to me. However, this week’s course material has shed light on the fact that the two interests are in fact very much reliant on one another. Mathematics for one, are often times conceptualized with art illustrations while on the other hand, artists often use mathematics such as the golden ratio to create aesthetically pleasing works
In particular, I am particularly fond
of the works of graphic artist M.C. Escher. Known for his mathematically inspired
work, he showed that even shapes as simple as triangles, hexagons and even irregular
polygons can be combined to create intricate patterns of artworks.
Through Professor Vesna’s lecture and
Linda Henderson’s “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern
Art”, I have learned that artists throughout history have heavily incorporated
mathematics when creating their art pieces not only for precision but also to
enhance the works’ aesthetics. Among all the examples presented in
lecture, I was most intrigued by the
golden ratio which could be applied both to art and science. On one hand,
artists such as the infamous Leonardo da Vinci was known for his sketches of
man with ideal proportions in relation to space. On the other hand, the golden
ratio can be applied to the studies of human anatomy in the realm of science.
This week’s material has proven that
juxtaposition of mathematics, art and science are in fact closely tied. Most
people seem to be unaware of their correlation most likely as a result of
initial impressions as mentioned by Professor Vesna in lecture. A negative
experience in Art could lead one to favor the field of sciences and vice versa.
In reality, the interchangeability between the three spheres indeed permeate
many different aspects of our lives.
Sources:
Vesna, Victoria.
“Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online.
Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 12 April. 2015. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded
"Leonardo da Vinci, Marketing Genius" Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.forbes.com>.
“Bestel een reproductie” Web. 12 Apr.
2015. <www.mcescher.nl>
Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of
Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 April. 2015.
<https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.
Henderson, Linda D. "The Fourth
Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo
17.3 (1984): 205-10. JSTOR. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.
I liked how you talked about Escher and how he showed that simple shapes can be put together to form a more complex design. Made me think about how it is often the simple building blocks that help create something so much bigger and intricate. It's kind of like the golden ratio; how can one single number help explain something as big as The Great Pyramid of Giza?
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