Week 2: Math and Art

This week I learned about the influence math has had on art. Math (like science) and arts have been intertwined since the beginning. Take the above artwork from the Tomb of Ti. Notice how there is one figure that is much larger than the others. In Ancient Art, size was an indication of importance, not necessarily true to life or for depth perception yet (Met Museum).  Although this is a very simple idea, math’s incorporation into art in the beginning was simple. Over time, as math’s application to arts became more complex, so did the artworks.

A great example is the artwork above, the School of Athens by Raphael. Reinaissance Art, I feel, epitomizes how far along math had been integrated into producing artworks. In this art piece, you can see the full effects of perspective. In the artwork, the lines on the floor tiles and the pillars all meet at a single point in the piece (Tyler). This mimics how we see the world and creates the illusion of depth within a 2d surface). This mathematical system of using lines to create realistic-looking depth is called linear perspective (Babick).

Throughout history, math was used to help reinforce particular parts of art. It was never the focus. An analogy I like to use is that math is the mayonnaise of the art sandwich. While mayo adds to the sandwich, it doesn't make up the main components of a sandwich. However, in today’s society, math can now be the foundations of art forms. Take the above artwork for example. It is an example of fractal art by William Latham. A fractal is a graphical representation of a mathematical equation. The formula used for a particular image determines how each pixel in the image is formed and colored (Fractalarts.com). Fractal Art is generated by computer programs and refined by artists, and the artworks take the form of images or animations. This is a unique form of art as it involves mathematics and computer science (New Britain Museum of American Art). This is a great example of how much more complex mathematics have been integrated into art. Instead of using proportions or lines, we can now use complex mathematical formulas to create art with an infinite diversity of form, detail, color and light.

This week I learned how equally important math is to the artist. The past two weeks have shown me that both math and sciences are have been vital to art since the beginning of art. Math and Science are the pillars which allow art to exist. As the integration of more complex math and  sciences increases, the potential for art increases. Math and sciences are tools for the artist to produce the message he strives for. 

Sources

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 0.

<http://www.metmuseum.org/~/media/Files/Learn/For Educators/Publications for Educators/The Art of Ancient Egypt.pdf>.

Babick, Katie. N.p.. Web. 14 Oct 2013.

<http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3757092>.

Tyler, C. N.p. Web. 14 Oct 2013.

<http://www.webexhibits.org/sciartperspective/raphaelperspective1.html>.

"New Media & Fractal Art." New Britain Museum of American Art. New Britain Museum of American Art, 19 Oct 2010. Web. 14 Oct 2013.

<http://nbmaa.wordpress.com/2010/10/19/new-media-fractal-art/>.

. N.p.. Web. 14 Oct 2013.

<http://fractalarts.com/SFDA/whatarefractals.html>.