Week 2: Math & Art


When we think of mathematics, we usually would not assume that it may be correlated with art. But rather, it is actually critical in the study of visual arts. Mathematics in itself is a system or a language that includes several different operations and numbers. Professor Vesna introduces mathematics in her video, which states that typically, as an artist, mathematics would seem to be removed from the field, but it is necessary for things such as measurements, forms, and shapes.



It was not until artists began to use mathematics, that art began to become more realistic. This was more explained in Marc Frantz's article Vanishing Points Looking at Art. Understanding this concept, for example, allows the artist to have things in the correct positioning for the art piece, therefore making something more realistic.  In addition, the article, "Of the Nature of Flatland" by Edwin A. Abbot, paints a picture in our heads about objects on the surface of paper moving around without coming off the paper, kind of like shadows. Abbot further analyzes comparing this to objects in real life stating that they will essentially change as we move around.

In the article The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher, the author states that "Maurits Cornelis Escher created unique and fascinating works of art that explore and exhibit a wide range of mathematical ideas", further supporting the notion that art and math work together in order to make something amazing. His "ideas also inspired thousands of other artists to pursue mathematical themes in their own work." 

 Furthermore, the art form known as origami, as discussed by Robert J. Lang, uses mathematics in order to create the beautiful art forms. These same mathematical descriptions are also used in other studies such as science and engineering. 

 We see through these art forms that mathematics is a tool to aid in creating these beautiful forms. With all the systems that math has to offer in several different ways, it can transform something into something better than what it was before. It was interesting to learn about Marc Frantz's vanishing points article. I took from that that the vanishing point was something that aided in creating something more realistic. There are many juxtapositions between these two concepts in such a way that when mathematics and art are placed side by side, then you can create something spectacular from that. 









Works Cited

Abbot, E.A.  A Square. “Flatland.”, www.ibiblio.org/eldritch/eaa/FL.HTM. 

Escher, M.C. “The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher.” The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher, 1997,                                                               platonicrealms.com/minitexts/Mathematical-Art-Of-M-C-Escher/.

 Frantz, Marc. “Vanishing Points and Looking at Art.” Ucf.edu, 2000, www.cs.ucf.edu/courses/cap6938-02/refs/VanishingPoints.pdf.

 Tason, Robert. “Robert J. Lang Origami.” Robert J. Lang Origami, 2004, langorigami.com/.

 Online, UC. YouTube, YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=245&v=mMmq5B1LKDg.

Comments

  1. Tana WernerApril 14, 2019 at 5:12 PM

    Hi Claire! It was really nice meeting you this week at the event! I loved your intro to this blog post. You explained the lecture and your understanding of it well. I also think that it's really cool that you used origami as an example! That is something I never really thought about, but it also involves angles and math like much other art forms. I also liked your comment on Frantz's article, saying that you took the aim of the vanishing point to make art more realistic.

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