As a math major and artist, I am constantly reminded of the connection between math and art, and this week’s material served to solidify and expand on this thinking: specifically I gained insight on the subjects of perspective, dimension, and sound.
Perspective and vanishing point are aspects of art that are heavily dependent on math. In his lesson on vanishing points, Marc Frantz explains technical geometric techniques to transfer 3D shapes into 2D space. I often apply this skill (first learned in engineering classes) to painting.
Additionally, “The Fourth Dimension,” examines the effects on art caused by the concept of multidimensional space. While Einstein was studying the fourth dimension and ultimately generating the concept of “spacetime,” artists like Dalí were experimenting with the idea as well. In one painting, “the legs of [a] dachshund [churn] away as he walks down the boulevard,” an artistic hypothesis of ‘seeing’ in 4D.
Lastly, in “The Transformation of Sound by Computer,” effects like reverb are discussed. Traditionally, reverb was achieved by recording music in unlikely places or using abnormal built environments. Now, however, computers are capable of modeling the physics of sound through mathematics; reverb can be generated synthetically in a typical recording studio, or even a bedroom.
Gaudí’s architecture reflects many mathematical concepts, including spacetime and fractals. As mentioned by Lorentzi and Francaviglia, “Einstein’s revolution was...a revenge of Time and Dynamism against Space and Staticity.” “Dynamism” sums up the essence of Gaudí’s work, his walls ungulate, his railings grow; everything is seemingly alive and ever-changing. Additionally, fractals are present throughout Gaudí’s work. The intricate Mandelbrot set justifies fascination with these repeating, self-similar shapes. In a way, their infiniteness ties into concepts of time and dimensional mutability.
Left: Sagrada Família (Thomas), Right: Casa Batlló (Cardlús)
Art and math have been linked since inception, and breakthroughs in each field have fueled shifts in the other. Math is often used to make art more lifelike, but it can also be a starting point for artistically hypothesizing things that do not yet exist tangibly. Often, math predicts anomalies that science has not yet discovered; an artist’s imagination and comfort with the unknown can uniquely position them to guess at these mysteries. It is important to juxtapose math and art, as while their methodologies are different, they share a common focus on space, pattern, and movement.
Sources:
Balla, Giacomo. Dynamism of a Dog on A Leash. 1912. Albright-Know Art Gallery, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamism_of_a_Dog_on_a_Leash.
Burk, Phil, et al. “Reverb.” Music and Computers, http://musicandcomputersbook.com/chapter5/05_02.php. Accessed 6 April 2021.
Cardelús, David. "Antoni Gaudí Casa Batlló." Divisare, 29 Sept. 2016, https://divisare.com/projects/326593-antoni-gaudi-david-cardelus-casa-batllo.
Frantz, Marc. “Lessons 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art.” 2000, pp. 1-10.
Lorenzi, Marcella, and Mauro Francaviglia. “Art and Mathematics in Antoni Gaudí’s Architecture: La Sagrada Família.” Journal of Applied Mathematics, vol. 3, no. 1, 2010, pp. 125-146.
“The Fourth Dimension.” Math and the Art of MC Escher, https://mathstat.slu.edu/escher/index.php/The_Fourth_Dimension. Accessed 6 April 2021.
Thomas, Janine. "La Sagrada Familia Interior." Gastrotravelouge, 5 May 2019, https://www.gastrotravelogue.com/travel/what-you-should-know-before-visiting-the-sagrada-familia/.
Weisstein, Eric. “Mandelbrot Set.” MathWorld, https://mathworld.wolfram.com/MandelbrotSet.html. Accessed 6 April 2021.
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