Week 2: Math + Art
Mathematics and art
have always been very separate entities and subjects in my mind. As a kid I
enjoyed drawing and crafting, but I was never really encouraged to improve my
art skills in the same way that my parents pushed me to improve my math skills.
Mathematics, I was taught, was practical knowledge, while art was more of an
extracurricular, fun activity to do in my spare time.
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| One of M.C. Escher's works using polyhedrons. |
When I think of the
intersection between mathematics and art, I immediately think of geometric
patterns and art based on geometric shapes. This kind of art can be seen in the
works of M.C. Escher with polyhedra and tessellations. I think the popularity of
Escher's art is because there is a certain kind of symmetricity in his
art--because of his use of math--that draws people. By incorporating math and
artistic elements in his art, Escher draws the audience in simply because these
two worlds are so often pitted against each other. Fractals are also an example
of how the geometric symmetricity of art draws audiences to it. The use of
fractals in African cultures, and the success and popularity of Jackson
Pollock's paintings, show that for generations humans have been drawn to
geometric shapes as art.
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| An example of Robert Lang's origami pieces - the crease pattern, followed by the finished product. |
Another artist that
I found fascinating was Robert Lang's origami pieces. As someone who has
enjoyed folding origami in the past, it never occurred to me that these designs
incorporated math. But as Lang explained in his TED talk, each origami creation
has an underlying geometric shape and how the crease patterns of an origami are
in fact, geometric shapes. After browsing through the crease patterns on Lang's
website, I noticed that many of them looked very similar to the simple
geometric art works that I had to create in my geometry class in high school. I
was also amazed at how they have been able to use the folding techniques in
origami to help develop products for space travel and medical surgery. As
Robert Lang stated at the end of his TED talk, "origami may even one day
save a life."
Clearly, the
juxtaposition of mathematics, art, and science is one of surprising
collaboration. When we incorporate mathematics into art, the techniques and
knowledge we gain from it can have implications for science and the real world.
Sources
- "Introduction." The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher. Platonic Realms, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
- "African Fractals." African Fractals. Ron Eglash and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
- "Robert J. Lang Origami." Robert J. Lang Origami. Robert J. Lang, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
- Lang, Robert. Robert Lang: The math and magic of origami | TED Talk | TED.com. TED, Feb. 2008. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
- Ouellette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover 1 Nov. 2001: n. pag. Discover. Kalmbach Publishing Co., 1 Nov. 2001. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I really enjoyed reading your blog, and I especially liked the examples of M.C. Escher’s art and Robert Lang's origami pieces. Both examples embody and exemplify how something as simple as geometric shapes have played an influential role in art. I agree with your that although art and math are “two worlds that are so often pitted against each other,” artists have always been able to find ways to creatively incorporating the two elements in their artworks and attract the eyes of viewers. Overall, your blog demonstrates that the integration of mathematical principles into art is truly fascinating. It is amazing that people can intuitively pick up on mathematical concepts, such as geometric patterns, and implement them in art pieces so beautifully and seamlessly.
Hi Sarah, thank you for such a thorough explanation of the collaboration between art and math. I especially enjoyed the images you chose to show Escher's and Lang's use of math and geometric shapes/properties to create innovative art pieces. With the addition of these three images, it helped bring the text further to life as we can physically see the polyhedrons in Escher's work and circular/oval properties in Lang's. I also think it's fascinating how shapes can even be used for medical purposes and space travels. In fact, I, too, was stressed by my parents to focus on mathematics when I was young; however, I never knew that these mathematical concepts are just as easily applied to art such as origami, which I've been doing since I was young as well. Examples such as these effortlessly show that art and math are indeed intertwined and shouldn't be treated as two separate entities. One day, I hope to be able to apply the math I'm learning currently to works of art.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteAs a child, my life was very similar to yours. My parents always pushed me to improve my math skills, but never encouraged me to improve my art skills. Although many people think of art as a hobby or something to do in your spare time, they do not realize that most artworks require mathematical skills to create something as seemingly "simple" as M.C. Escher's polyhedra. My mom really enjoys folding origami, and she would always write me notes and fold them into different shapes and objects. Whenever I would watch her fold origami, I never thought that it required the precision of math. After reading the articles in this class and reading many blogs, I now see that math and art rely on each other, and "the techniques and knowledge we gain from it can have implications for science and the real world."