Week 2: Mathematics and Art
Week 2: Math and Art
This week we learned about the intersection between art and mathematics, two things which complement one another on a regular basis, regardless of how we tend to see these as completely different things. It was when Brahmagupta came up with arithmetic rules, the use of zero and negative numbers, that the world went through a paradigm shift. This moment shifted the entire way we looked at mathematics and the perception of the world we live in. This caught my attention because I could not imagine living in a world without numbers, without a realization of how arithmetic works. We constantly use numbers without even noticing, for example, when inviting people to your house, you calculate the number of people in order to have the right amount of food.
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| Equations in Art |
Another example that caught my attention in this week’s lecture was how Brunneleschi came up with the idea of the vanishing point. This is how all parallel lines in a plane converge, he used the right idea of scale and computed the relation of length of an object and the length of a picture. This reminded me of how we use proprotions when illustrating a map, trying to depict an accurate representaion of distance.
Moving on to the more artistic part of this lecture, it was interesting to learn that Pierro de la Francesca described painting as having three very important parts: drawing, proportion, and coloring. Here, he emphasizes how mathematics is actually essential to painting, and without an accurate representation of proportions, a drawing would be fail to be natural, but artificial instead.
Da Vinci’s Vitruvian man is a good artwork to discuss from this week’s lecture. I had never analyzed this painting but now that Dr. Vesna talked about it I understand how this painting is actually a man with arms and legs spread apart and inscribed in a circle and a square, therefore being a symbol of art and science. This is based on the ideal of human proportions, geometrically. Da Vinci was aware of the importance of math to create a pleasant piece of art, especially in regards to architecture. He was aware that perspective is a rational demonstration by which experience confirms that the images are all things transmitted to the eye by pyramidal lines.
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| Vitruvian Man |
All in all, in order to please the human eye in an artistic field, one should be a mathematician in order to create a natural perspective, through proportions, lines, shapes, and patterns.
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| Math & Art |
Sources:
Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.
Borson, Bob. "Do you really want to be an architect?" Life of an Architect. WordPress, 08 Feb. 2015. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
Crist, Andrew. Vitruvian Man. Word Press, Feb 14. 2013, handheldcamera12.wordpress.com/2013/02/14/vitruvian-man. 13 Apr. 2017.
Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo. 17.3 (1984): 205-210. Print.
Nielsen, Inga . "Making Art From Equations." Discover Magazine. Kalmbach Publisher, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2017.
It is very interesting to me that you talked about map and how proportion is a crucial factor of art. For example, the golden ratio, which is thought to be aesthetically pleasing, can be easily found in the art works. It is astonishing that most of the artists we've known utilized this kind of techniques to create art works such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. I absolutely agree with you that math and art are intertwined with each other and they complement each other.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up using math in order to please the human eye, and I thought you inclusion of a blueprint was a great example. Architects work at the intersection of math and art — often times they are creating beautiful buildings and houses, or even monuments, but these structures must also be engineered to be functional. It is also crazy when you consider there are mathematical proportions that explain why we think certain people or things are beautiful. As with the Vitruvian Man, geometry dictates our aesthetic preferences.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how you showed the map to virtualize mathematics. I also agree that we use mathematics when creating a project. From sizes to shapes to figuring out dimensions. I think that so much is hidden in DaVinci's painting, it just requires us to analyze it and look further into it.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment that math in art is what makes it natural, instead of artificial. Mathematics is used in art to give it a sense of reality in some ways. On the other hand, we read other examples of where math was used to transcend reality. Complex themes and connections between math and art are what make this topic so fascinating. Also, your blog is very aesthetic!
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