Week 2: Math and Art

Growing up I was one of the kids that Professor Vesna talked about in her video lecture that had a bad math teacher that lead me away from excelling in math. However, I always enjoyed art and had many good art teachers that I learned a lot from. One thing that I always struggled with when drawing though was perspective. One of the first artists to record how to correctly portray perspective was Albretcht Durer. Not only did he use geometric processes to figure out how to properly create perspective he also "illustrated his book with a set of woodcut showing practical tools for accurate perspective drawing" (Anamorphic Art). Below is an example of a piece of work done by Durer that shows appropriate perspective. He used the tools that he mentioned in his book to create this piece of artwork.

Painting showing the use of lines and geometric shapes to help show perspective.

The reading Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott gave another interesting look on perspective that I had not considered prior by using all three dimensions that are apart of our universe. This reading gave a precise and simple example of how perspective changes by using geometric shapes. The example Flatland gives is explained as followed: "Fig. 1 represents the Tradesman as you would see him while you were bending over him from above; figs. 2 and 3 represent the Tradesman, as you would see him if your eye were close to the level, or all but on the level of the table; and if your eye were quite on the level of the table (and that is how we see him in Flatland) you would see nothing but a straight line" (Abbott).

Although I admire those early artists who first began to use perspective in their artwork, this week I became very intrigued by mathematical origami of Robert J. Lang. He and other origami artist do not only make extremely detailed, beautiful sculptures by using paper, their medium also "can be (and have been) pressed into service to solve technological problems ranging from consumer products to the space program" (Lang). 

                 

Not only is origami a super cool form of art but it also requires a very deep understanding of mathematical geometric methods. These methods create beautiful and complex works of art and these same mathematical methods can be used in more scientific areas of the world. To me origami represented the relationship between art and math perfectly.

Works Cited

 "Amazing Examples of PAPER ORIGAMI." Amazingpunch. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

"Anamorphic Art." Anamorphic Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

"Flatland A Romance of Many Dimensions." Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

"Origami Curler Ball." By Pecatrix on DeviantArt. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.

"Robert J. Lang Origami." Robert J. Lang Origami. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2015.