Week 2: Math and Art

We start to learn the relation and interactions between mathematics and art this week. From the lectures given by professor Vesna, I learn that artists pursue the perfection both artistically and mathematical, though they might not be aware of the latter. Also, artists have started to apply new perspectives and techniques with the development of a more complex and complete mathematics system.

Artists have been devoted to making realistic portraits, yet they may not know they are also approaching the geometry perfection of mathematics. In 13th century, Giotto, an Italian painter, "was able to create impression of depth by inclining the lines above eye level downwards as they moved away from the observer". This effort might not be strictly mathematical derived. But it is considered "pretty close to understanding linear perspective", according to professor Vesna. Based on this example, we can see that sometimes artists are somewhat vague or ambiguous on techniques and science behind their effort. There is one thing we can confirm: during thousand years of research and exploration, great artworks express the unity of math and art.


One of the Legend of St. Francisfrescoes at Assisi, the authorship of which is disputed
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giotto

Another excellent example of artwork emerging from mathematics is the golden ratio. Egyptian pyramid is one of structures that apply golden ratio. "One Egyptian pyramid is remarkably close to a "golden pyramid"". One thing interesting about the pyramids is that "whether the relationship to the golden ratio in these pyramids is by design or by accident remains open to speculation".  


Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt with golden ratio proportion
http://www.goldennumber.net/phi-pi-great-pyramid-egypt/

Artists are also outstanding avant-gardes on applying new techniques with the developments of mathematics. For example in Linda D. Henderson's paper,  she introduced: "belief in a fourth dimension encouraged artists to depart from visual reality and to reject completely the one-point perspective system". In her paper, Linda D. Henderson went over the process of artists questioning the existing perspective and geometry system.

After reading the interaction of art and science during thousands of years, I begin to realize that they are more like two sides of more general form of culture. They just have different forms of expressions. Nowadays, art and science, especially math are more closely related, we can see golden ratio applied to design, paintings, buildings and everywhere.


Apple logo
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3044877/the-golden-ratio-designs-biggest-myth



Citations:
Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watchv=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>

 Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo 17.3 (1984): 205. Web. 

 "Golden Ratio." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Meisner, Gary. "Phi, Pi and the Great Pyramid of Egypt at Giza - The Golden Ratio: Phi, 1.618." The Golden Ratio Phi 1618. 18 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"Giotto." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

 Brownlee, John. "The Golden Ratio: Design's Biggest Myth." Co.Design. 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.