As someone who has never been fond of math, after watching and reading how math has influenced art and science, I have now developed a new found respect for it. The golden ratio is the ultimate connection between math and art. Leonardo DiVinci was one of the earliest artists who utilized the golden ration as demonstrated in the Vitruvian Man, which used the "human figure as the source of proportion for classical proportions in architecture" (Vesna). DiVinci "developed mathematical formulas to compute the relationship between distance and the eye to the object and its science of intersecting plane" (Vesna). The pyramids of Egypt and the Parthenon are monuments that illustrate the application of the golden ratio in architecture.
Piet Mondrian is one of my favorite artists. I find the simplicity of his pieces very appealing. It turns out that "he very much believed in mathematics and simple geometrical shapes, and primary colors that could be used to express reality and nature and logic from a different point of view" (Vesna). The golden triangle repeatedly appears in his art, which demonstrates how math has influenced art.
Just like with Piet Mondrian's s geometrical style of art, one may not realize that such simple visualization employs a tremendous amount of technicality. Some art critics thought a "trained chimpanzee could do just as well" (Ouellette) when it came to making his art. It turns out that "In Jackson Pollock's drip paintings, as in nature, certain patterns are repeated again and again at various levels of magnification. Such fractals have varying degrees of complexity" (Ouellette). What made Pollock's work special was the way in which he dripped the paint, which resulted in the fractal.
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Fractal Scale Complexity
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Sources:
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>
Ouellette, Jennifer. “April 2019.” Discover Magazine, 2001, discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock.
Taylor, R. P., & Spehar, B. (1970, January 01). Fractal Fluency: An Intimate Relationship Between the Brain and Processing of Fractal Stimuli. Retrieved April 9, 2019 from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4939-3995-4_30
The Fibonacci Sequence, Spirals and the Golden Mean. (n.d.). Retrieved April 9, 2019, from https://math.temple.edu/~reich/Fib/fibo.html
“Mathematical Masterpieces: Making Art From Equations.” Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2014, discovermagazine.com/galleries/2014/april/math-art.
Image Sources:
Meisner, Gary, et al. “Divine Proportion/Golden Ratio in the Art of Da Vinci.” The Golden Ratio: Phi, 1.618, 24 Sept. 2016, www.goldennumber.net/leonardo-da-vinci-golden-ratio-art/.
Bazan, Caroline. “Mondrian Art - A Hundred Year Legacy - Musart Boutique.” Musart Boutique Gift Shop - Museum Shop and Unique Gift Ideas, 19 Apr. 2017, musartboutique.com/mondrian-art-hundred-year-legacy/.
“Mathematical Masterpieces: Making Art From Equations.” Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2014, discovermagazine.com/galleries/2014/april/math-art.
Hi Gabrielle,
ReplyDeleteI liked how you pointed out that seemingly simple pieces of art employ a lot of technicality. When I was making banners for Facebook events for a student organization, I learned about the creativity and technicality one might need to use for graphic and web design.
I also found your discussion about Jackson Pollock’s works interesting, as I never quite understood what made them notable. I’m a little curious about how the scale for fractal complexity was developed, but definitely appreciate the examples through the range of D values.