Unit 2 - Mathematics and Art

            In this week’s lecture and readings my eyes have been opened to numerous insights regarding how intertwined the relationship of math and science so easily goes unnoticed. The two work together is such a beautiful, seamless way when executed with the care and precision that mathematics gives to art. As a child I was exposed to ample art and I always appreciated the work of da Vinci because my mother’s favorite painting of all time is The Last Supper. This week’s lecture also reminded me of the simplicity and fascination of the golden ratio and my first lessons on the topic as a child. I remember all those years ago looking at everything differently and wanting to measure everything when I got home from school.  Finally, zero has always been a number I’ve never given much thought. It was always just a place holder to me, I had no idea how much time went on without it. 

            Robert J. Lang is an artist who works with origami. Origami has been a hobby of mine off and on since my childhood because my grandmother is from Okinawa. Reading more about Lang’s work I realized how important mathematics is to even what seems like the simplest forms of art. Creating a whole animals with details down to the antlers and hooves from one piece of paper with no cuts is difficult, but can be done because of mathematics. With this simple addition of math to origami it is now helping with science and medicine by using designs that came from insects to create stints used in surgeries. 

            “The spontaneity of expression is in my mind and not in my fingers” (Csuri). Charles Csuri says this in response to no longer using paint and a canvas. I believe this is true and very important to remember because no matter what the aesthetic of the art turns out to be it was an idea that came from someone’s mind before they began creating. For this reason and more I believe that the juxtaposition of art, mathematics, and science is not just something to be compared side by side, but it is far more complex because you can’t take a whole piece of work into consideration if one of the three elements is missing. They are essential to each other.

Works Cited

Csuri, Charles. “Tactile-Kinesthesis.” Csurivision: The Art and Science of Charles Csuri.” 12 Feb. 1998. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.csurivision.com/index.php/2012/02/tactile-kinesthesis/#more-478>

Lang, Robert J. “Bull Moose, opus 413.” Robert J. Lang Origami: Mammals. 2002. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.langorigami.com/art/gallery/gallery.php?tag=mammals&name=bull_moose>

Lang, Robert J. “Magician Transforming Paper into a Bird.” Robert J. Lang Origami: Monumental Origami. 2006. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.langorigami.com/art/monumental/monumental.php>

Lang, Robert J. “The math and magic of origami.” Ted. Feb. 2008. Web. 10 April 2015. <http://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_folds_way_new_origami>

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” UC online program. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 7 April 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg >.

Zeising, Adolf. “Let’s get Visual Visual: Let me see your pictures talk.” Word press. 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 April 2015. <https://letsgetvisualvisual.wordpress.com/2012/02/21/1-618/>