Week 2: Math + Technology + Art

In this week’s reading of Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions, Edwin A. Abbott used mathematical shapes to illustrate the classist and sexist social structure of his time. As someone who has personally struggled with conceptualizing multi-dimensional mathematical systems, I especially enjoyed that the author touched on the issue of not being able to comprehend dimensions of higher order than your own.

A sphere as viewed from a 2-D perspective

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/see-the-fourth-dimension.htm

                 

One of the many ways mathematics plays a large role in art is through the use of mathematical perspective lines to “[create] a viewpoint for your audience that will best communicate your subject and serve its particular message” [Aguilera, 2008].

Perspective lines emphasize Jesus as the subject in Da Vinci's "Last Supper"

Source: http://www.arts.rpi.edu/~ruiz/MediaStudioImagingFall09/LECTURES/LESSONS/lesson2perspective/perspective.html

Similar techniques are also used for communicating the geometry of objects through engineering drawings.

The increased prevalence of computers has allowed math and art to intertwine even more tightly than before. For example, companies such as Pixar use mathematical modeling to create many of today’s animated films.

A film made with computer animation

Source: http://fanart.tv

One art piece I particularly enjoy is the Interlocked Mobius Tori. The piece was created using a mathematical formula, which generated both the shape and the mesh.

3-D Printed Interlocked Mobius Tori

Source: http://www.shapeways.com/model/237637/mobius-tori.html

In “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction,” Walter Benjamin argues that mechanical reproduction of art leads to the loss of the piece’s “aura.” I believe this argument overvalues the importance of the artist’s intent of the piece. Individuals will always view art through the lens of their own experiences, so who’s to say that any reproduction or alteration of the piece devalues it in any way?

If we do admit that the mass-produced piece has lost its aura, the end user can use it as a mold to create a new aura via customization. For example, there’s a huge industry behind custom Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, where cookie-cutter Harleys are turned into individual works of art with their own personalities.

Custom Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

Source: www.motorcycle-usa.com

With the advent of 3D printers, websites like shapeways.com allow artists to produce “template” pieces, which can be customized or altered in any way by the consumer before production.

In today’s society we almost always see math, industrialization and technology intertwined. From our cars to our cell-phones, a good majority of the products and devices we use are designed to be aesthetically pleasing, while utilizing math and technology to produce an affordable and convenient experience.

Apple Iphone: Combining math, industrialization and art

Source: http://www.appleinsider.com/

Works Cited

"2-point Perspective Drawing Tutorial." AUTOMOTIVE ILLUSTRATION. KHI, Inc, 2011. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.automotiveillustrations.com/tutorials/drawing-2-point-perspective.html>.

Abbott, Edwin Abbott. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1963. Print.

Aguilera, Steven. A New Perspective: A New and Essential Understanding of Perspective Applicable To: Directing, Camerawork, Visual Effects, Set Design and Setting up Shots. El Sobrante, CA: Artistech, 2008. 3-4. Print.

"Buy Custom 3D Printed Math Art - Shapeways." Shapeways.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.shapeways.com/art/mathematical-art>.

Custom Motorcycle Shows. Biker Pros, n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://custombikeshows.com/>.

"TopMod." Topological Mesh Modeler. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <https://code.google.com/p/topmod/>.

Treibergs, Andrejs. "The Geometry of Perspective Drawing on the Computer." Mathematics of Perspective Drawing. University of Utah Department of Mathematics, n.d. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://www.math.utah.edu/~treiberg/Perspect/Perspect.htm>.

Walker, Cody. "Working with Orthographic Projections and Basic Isometrics." Design & Illustration Tutorial. N.p., 2 Dec. 2011. Web. 06 July 2014. <http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/working-with-orthographic-projections-and-basic-isometrics--vector-893>.