Unit 2: Math + Art

Like professor Vesna, I had terrible math teachers growing up, and art class was my escape. My first art teacher in elementary school is one of the biggest reasons why I love art so much. Although art is not my major, I still consider myself an artist, and consider art a strong passion of mine. I have always known that art and mathematics work together, however this week's topic has really taught me how mathematics influences art and science. The lecture Math+Art discusses several mathematical concepts, such as geometry, linear perspective, and the golden ratio, that have influenced many artists and architects. Legendary Leonardo da Vinci distinguished two types of perspective, artificial and natural, that contribute to more realistic drawings. Historically, no one has fused math and art quite like da Vinci did. Linda Henderson discusses the significance of mathematical and scientific theories in art, particularly how important Einstein's relativity theory and non-Euclidean geometry was in the development of modern art. Flatland taught me that math and art do not only describe the physical world, but their combination can be used to understand higher dimensions. 

(Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper" demonstrating linear perspective.)

M.C. Escher combines math and art beautifully, which can be demonstrated in his wood engraving stars. He created this truly amazing piece by intersecting geometric shapes and placing chameleons inside those shapes to create art that is not only visually interesting, but is also admired by mathematicians everywhere because of his flawless incorporation of math. 

(M.C. Escher's "Stars" demonstrating the beautiful combination of math and art.) 

Professor Vesna throughly discusses da Vinci's Vitruvian man, which incorporates the Golden Ratio. Vitruvian man is based on the ideal of human proportions in relation to geometry and architecture. This drawing and way of thinking influenced many artists and architects, like Charles-Edouard Jeanneret who used the proportions of the human body to improve the appearance and function of architecture. 

(Charles-Edouard Jeanneret's "Villa Savoye.")

The juxtaposition of mathematics, art, and science is that they are different concepts. but they come together quite often to create beautiful works of art, and induce better understanding of one another. Modern technologies have further combined math and art in many different ways that are beneficial to society. Math influences art, and art influences mathematician's perspectives, allowing them to see things in a novel way. 

(Leonardo da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man," the ultimate representation of the combination of mathematics, art, and science.) 

SOURCES
Abbott, Edwin. "Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions." N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. 
Bradley, Darren. "Villa Savoye." Photograph. Modernist Architecture. Blogspot, 17 Jul. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. 
Da Vinci, Leonardo. "Last Supper." Image. Nianicolesw. Wordpress, 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 8 Apr. 2016.
Escher, MD. "Stars." Photograph. Math Academy. 1948. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. 
Henderson, Linda. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo. 17.3 (1984): 205-210. Print. 
Vesna, Victoria. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." Cole UC online. YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 Apr. 2016. 
Wikipedia contributors. "Leonardo da Vinci." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Apr. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.