This week
we looked into the relationship of mathematics and art. As it turns out, mathematics has greatly
influenced art and science. For instance,
Linda Henderson describes how art began to change following Einstein’s
theories, particularly the fourth dimension.
The fourth dimension encouraged the artists to depart from visual
reality and into something new, and motion became an important aspect of
art. Edwin Abbott also explores
mathematics and art when he describes the penny on the table example and how
changing mathematical angles can alter perspective.
An example of the fourth dimension in art, Pablo Picasso’s Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler.
Nathan
Selikoff is self-described as a “fine artist playing at the intersection of
interactivity, math, and art.” He uses
math in his art and exemplifies the influence of math on art. Like artists before him, he was inspired by
the fourth dimension and has a work entitled Four Dimensions, which exhibits the four mathematical
dimensions. He also has a work to
explore the beauty in mathematical equations entitled Beautiful Chaos. Selikoff
completely links mathematics and art in his work.
A still image from Beautiful
Chaos.
http://nathanselikoff.com/works/beautiful-chaos
On the
surface mathematics and art may seem to be a juxtaposed concept, but in
reality, we see that the two are intertwined.
Let’s take the origami of Robert Lang, for example. Lang explains how very complex origami can be
attributed to mathematical principles.
So, he is applying mathematical principles in order to make something
beautiful. Additionally, he goes on to
explain how things originally intended for aesthetics end up having
applications, such as the medical stent or folding telescope. Thus, math and art may not be as separate as
we once believed.
Origami heart stent prototype.
Abbott, Edwin Abbott. Flatland a
Romance of Many Dimensions. Champaign, Ill.: Project Gutenberg, 1884.
Henderson, Linda. "The Fourth Dimension
and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo 17.3
(1984): 205-10.
"Nathan Selikoff Art & Algorithms / A
Digital Arts Festival October 5-11, 2015 Titusville, FL."Art Algorithms
A Digital Arts Festival October 511 2015 Titusville FL. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
<http://artandalgorithms.com/artists/nathan-selikoff/>.
"Nathan Selikoff | Fine Artist Playing
with Interactivity, Math, Code." Nathan Selikoff. Web. 13 Apr.
2015. <http://nathanselikoff.com/>.
"The Math and Magic of Origami." Robert
Lang:. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami>.
Hi Brooke,
ReplyDeleteI thought that you brought a very interesting point to light when you mentioned that math and art are two intertwined concepts that are more than just juxtaposed. Before reading your post I thought that they were simply juxtaposed, but looking at art such as origami tells us otherwise.
Hey Brooke,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that that in reality math and art are more connected. They may seem as separate cultures, but when we examine individual works, we see the work of both cultures. Nathan Selloff was one of the artists that really caught my eye this week, and I thought his fourth dimension orchestra piece was amazing. Not only did he combine programming with visual art, but he also had a live orchestra playing music! I enjoyed reading your post, great work!