The relationship between math and art can often be seen in nature. Fibonacci’s number and the golden rule were two subjects I was familiar before this week’s assignment, however, Theo Jansen and Robert Lang’s Ted Talks showed me the direction this connection can take.
For example, in Robert Lang’s videos showed me that while origami has been used for hundreds of years the technique is evolving and improving to the point where beautiful sculptures can be made from just one sheet of paper. The application of origami has even reached outer space with its application in telescopes and space shuttles. Theo Jansen’s video reminded me of Dr. Vesna’s lecture on Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man because both create a creature solely using math. In the Vitruvian Man the ideal human proportions are depicted while Theo Jansen’s creatures were made using angles, shapes, and tubing in efforts to create a new species that can thrive in beaches.
This week has also taught me that it is hard to use math without art and vice versa. Very often in math, professors use diagrams and pictures used to help students further understand difficult concepts. An example is the practicing using coordinate planes by plotting point, connecting them and creating a picture such as the one shown below.
On the other hand, math can be used in art to create different angles and illusions like M.C Escher’s Relativity. This artist used perspectives to create a painting that seems to change when you look at it through different angles. Today more and more artist are playing with science and math findings to create new masterpieces.
Works Cited
Da Vinci, Leonardo. Vitruvian Man. 1490. Gallerie Dell'Accademia, Venice.
Escher, M.C. Relativity. 1953. N.p.
Green, Corey. Spongebob. Digital image. Class Antics – Inside Elementary Education. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://classantics.com/archives/3666>.
The Math and Magic or Origami. Dir. Robert Lang. Perf. Robert Lang. Ted Talk. N.p., Feb. 2008. Web. <https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami>.
Michelangelo. The Creation of Adam. C. 1512. Sistine Chapel.
Theo Jansen: My Creations, a New Form of Life. Dir. Theo Jansen. Perf. Theo Jansen. Ted Talk. N.p., Mar. 2007. Web. <https://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures?language=en#t-169971>.
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>
Your images really helped to demonstrate your points. It was really interesting to see Spongebob drawn by connecting points on a coordinate plane. Even when Spongebob isn't drawn on a graph, his animation still consists of many points on a 2D plane. After viewing this picture on a graph, it's very hard to deny that animation is connected to math.
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