Week 2 Blog

Math and Art 

The intersection of mathematics and art is one that we don’t always think about or even notice. However, this week’s lecture about the development of mathematics in relation to art opened my eyes to how the two influence each other on a deeper level. Leonardo da Vinci is an artist that utilized mathematics heavily in his art. The concepts of perspective and lines are prevalent in The Last Supper, and the golden ratio was used in the Mona Lisa, which means that the lines are divided so that the ratio of the smaller to larger part is the same as the ratio of the larger part to the whole. I discovered one of my favorite pieces of art from this week in “The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher.” In the 1948 engraving Stars, Escher incorporates chameleons within mathematical/geometric shapes, forcing the viewer to take a different perspective on what art can be along with it means to be an artist.

Stars, 1948


Hyperbolic Crochet


Although math and art are usually considered two fields that have little in common, I’ve come to understand that the two go hand in hand. Art would be completely different without perspective, computers, technology, and many of the aesthetics of modern art, for example, hyperbolic crochet, is made possible by the integration of mathematics that people thought once was impossible. On the other hand, math would be useless without applications to apply it to. Being a “math” person or an “art” person doesn’t have to mean that you’re good at one and not the other; rather, the two are in close connection with each other. Being able to find the connection between math and art allow us to develop our minds intellectually, visually, and creatively.  



The Golden Ratio

Sources/Links:

“Daina Taimina: Discoverer of Hyperbolic Crochet.” Crochet Coral Reef. Web. 14 April 2019.


Frantz, Marc. “Vanishing Points and Looking at Art.” 2000. Web. 14 April 2019.


Smith, B. Sidney. "The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher." Platonic Realms Minitexts. Platonic Realms, 13 Mar 2014. Web. 14 Mar 2019.


Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 14 April 2019. 




Comments

  1. NumairApril 17, 2019 at 10:37 PM

    I found your commentary on Escher's art quite insightful. Solely using mathematical and geometric shapes in ones art surely does encourage the viewer to appreciate the art with a unique and different perspective. I also did not know that the creation of the hyperbolic crochet was driven by mathematics. Makes me wonder what else can be created at the intersection of art and science.

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