Week 2 || Math + Art

In my 7th grade fine arts class, we learned about cubism and the works of Pablo Picasso. The intricate shapes and abnormal colors that were scattered across a blank canvas created masterpieces of chaos and beauty, appealing to the internal cry of the messy soul. Our art teacher instructed us to use pastels to draw various musical instruments such as violins and pianos and harps out of geometric shapes. Then we cut the rectangular sheet of paper into four smaller rectangles and were told to rearrange the rectangles facing different directions and in different orders like how a cubist artist would.

Cubism defies the natural inclination towards structured math and geometry by exposing them to art

This abandonment of traditional art’s constricting linear perspective freed the cubist artists to express themselves in chaotic, unconventional ways by entering the fourth dimension of art. This new dimension of perspective explored the geometry of shapes and shadows of lines that older forms of art were not able to explore as in depth. According to Henderson, the fourth dimension uses math and geometry to create a new aesthetic realm of self-expression.

Math is very regulated and structured. However, the art in cubism is that it takes something as structured and precise as math and turns it into something expressive and emotional.

Math is helpful and often used in the self-expression of the arts. For example, Edwin Abbott used geometry and math to make a satire against the social class division in culture. In fact, unlike cubist artists, Abbott uses visual concepts of shapes rather than the actual visual component of shapes to paint a picture in the reader’s mind about social construction. Math is not only helpful in the visual arts but in the literary arts as well by providing a means of bettering understanding certain concepts and theories.

Edwin Abbott's "Flatland" satire gives life to geometry for the sake of literary artistry

Math is also helpful in science and humanity by better understanding human anatomy. As described in Professor Vesna’s lecture, the golden ratio and the vitruvian man by Leonardo Da Vinci are examples of connecting symmetry of the geometry in math to the natural world, particularly nature and architecture.

Math and human anatomy intersect in the vitruvian man 

After this study, I am better trying to explore the connection among math, science, and art. Math is the foundation of regulating the guidelines and structure of the world. While science explores to explain those guidelines and structure and art makes it come to life.

References:

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

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo. 17.3 (1984): 205-210. Print.

Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.

Picasso, Pablo. “Musical Instruments, 1912 - Pablo Picasso.” Www.wikiart.org, 1 Jan. 1970, www.wikiart.org/en/pablo-picasso/musical-instruments-1912.

“Leonardo's Vitruvian Man.” The Vitruvian Man, leonardodavinci.stanford.edu/submissions/clabaugh/history/leonardo.html.

“Aspiring to a Higher Plane.” The Public Domain Review, publicdomainreview.org/2011/09/19/aspiring-to-a-higher-plane/.