Week 2: Math and Art

This week's theme is about the convergence of Math and Art.  Math plays a pivotal role in all aspects of life, even art!  In anything from a detailed drawing, to graphic design, to architecture, math is at work in tandem with art.  Especially nowadays, art is being taken to whole new lengths beyond just a palette and a canvas.  Designers are now able to use computers to develop their own unique styles of art that help bring their craft into the technologically advanced 21st century.  This first article i read summed this all up pretty well: "Art is illusion, and transformations are important in creating illusion."  These transformations are only made possible by the computers and the mathematics behind the computers that help this art come to life.  

During the lecture, the professor discussed Brunelleschi, and how he utilized mathematics to create things like his famous dome in Florence, Italy during the Renaissance.  His work with geometry and optics helped him to not only create these tremendous structures, but this convergence of ideas also made him a revolutionary artist in a sense.  He helped advance his craft by utilizing his engineering and mathematical knowledge.  

Some artists even used mathematical theorems to either create or inspire some of their most famous works.  Painter Crockett Johnson for example, used these mathematical theorems in his later work.  He created an abstract geometrical painting in the 1970s, inspired by the square root of Pi.  

But as stated in lecture, we cannot talk about the convergence of math and art without talking about the famous Leonardo da Vinci.  LDV was a leading artist during the Italian Renaissance and he studied geometry, optical principles, and perspective among other things.  He even created a mechanical lion that could open its chest and dispense lilies!  He also used the divine perspective or divine ratio in his creation of the Mona Lisa.  LDV was incredibly revolutionary in the art world, and he had a profound impact on artists for many years to come.

Bibliography:

"MAM2003 Essay: Mathematics and Art -- So Many Connections." MAM2003 Essay: Mathematics and Art -- So Many Connections. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.

Filippo Brunelleschi." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.

"Mathematics and Art: An Unlikely Connection." Calculus I Blog. N.p., 19 Feb. 2009. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.

"Leonardo Da Vinci." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.

"Leonardo Da Vinci." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 08 Apr. 2015.