Week 2 | Math + Art

    From lines to modern day art in devices as small as our calculators, arts and mathematics have always coexisted. From Renaissance art, to film screenwriting entailing scientific theory, the two aspects have always been together until recently pulled apart (Vesna). Throughout the week, I learned a lot about the history of mathematics such as the concept of zero, different parts of perspectives and how they relate to one another. Prior to this, I rarely associated the visual arts to be related to anything scientific at all. However, after this week's lecture and readings, I quickly learned and appreciated how intertwined they were. 

 
Science Is Fun. The Beating Heart Formula Tutorial (Desmos Calculator Graphing). 2019. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rPUg2jmcOw.


    This week's lecture was the most influential one in terms of laying the foundation of my understanding of the juxtaposition of math, art, and science. In the lecture, Dr. Vesna expands on notable figures that influenced the paradigms, including Brahmagupta, Piero de la Francesca, and much more (UC Online). 

    I was specifically memorized with the concept of perspective, specifically Alberti. Alberti was credited as the first scholar to correctly explain linear perspective, and how many paintings during this time were basing it from said perspective (Graham). An example of a painting that's evidently using linear perspective is shown below (Perugino). 

 

 

Perugino, Pietro. Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter, Sistine Chapel, 1481-83, fresco, https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/perugino-diagram2.jpg 

 

TheOpenBook. The Vitruvian Man and Proportions. Education Videos, 2019. Screenshot from YouTube Media: https://youtu.be/yyKXJhHwqWk

 

    Another artist worth noting was Leonardo da Vinci, a figure who showed the emergence of the two through a well-known art known as the Vitruvian Man (ArtinContext). Vinci was able to demonstrate symmetry, perspective, and art, hence tying together arts and sciences. His work was ahead of his time, inspiring many others afterward to continue using mathematics to enhance their work.

    I would describe the juxtaposition of arts and mathematics as two factors that, despite being two different cultures because of curricula, are essential together when it comes to innovation, architecture, and progress (RSA). 


Sources:

Artincontext. “The ‘Vitruvian Man’ Da Vinci - Why Was the ‘Vitruvian Man’ Created?”  Artincontext.Org, 28 Sept. 2021, https://artincontext.org/the-vitruvian-man-da-vinci/.

Graham, Heather, and Lauren Kilroy-Ewback. Alberti’s Revolution in Painting – Smarthistory. https://smarthistory.org/albertis-revolution-in-painting/. Accessed 5 Apr. 2022.

 RSA ANIMATE: Changing Education Paradigms - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U&feature=youtu.be. Accessed 7 Apr. 2022.

UC Online. Mathematics-Pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.Mov. 2012. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg.

Vesna, Victoria. "Flatland." DESMA9, April 4 2022, UCLA, https://cdn.inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net/798b231c-f093-45f5-81d6-e3b1c069d17b/FlatlandNovel_PDF.pdf?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6ImNkbiJ9.eyJyZXNvdXJjZSI6Ii83OThiMjMxYy1mMDkzLTQ1ZjUtODFkNi1lM2IxYzA2OWQxN2IvRmxhdGxhbmROb3ZlbF9QREYucGRmIiwidGVuYW50IjoiY2FudmFzIiwidXNlcl9pZCI6IjE0ODA5MDAwMDAwMDA0NTgzNCIsImlhdCI6MTY0OTM3NjQxNiwiZXhwIjoxNjQ5NDYyODE2fQ.3UnBUZ00jmmQYIaXJ1wDxC0sEFwDXzvH-R_37FjyBjq61AhcnbaOmAZHnw12ihrmaQPbzTCImcyrkGJ2lzMYjA&download=1&content_type=application%2Fpdf. Accessed 6 April 2022. Class handout.



 

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 9, 2022 at 11:55 AM

    Great post! I loved the Desmos video you included on the beating heart forumla. I also wrote about how Desmos can be used to integrate math and art in my post this week! I also liked how you concluded your post by emphasizing the importance of combining math and art concepts for innovation and progress. I totally agree and was wondering if you had any thoughts on how these two fields could become reunited in the future? Do you think making changes to our current educational systems could help to do this?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Malia AllenApril 10, 2022 at 2:45 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  3. Malia AllenApril 10, 2022 at 2:50 PM

    I loved reading your blog this week! I found a great amount of similarities throughout your bog with thoughts of my own during this past weeks lecture. I really enjoyed reading about your thoughts on Alberti because it gave me more of an insight on the workings of Alberti.

    ReplyDelete

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