Although many may think that art
and mathematics are polar opposites, this is not entirely true. Many current
and past art practices are directly related to math. As described by both Abbot
and Henderson, many artists were concerned about the multiple dimensions that
can be achieved through art. Art can take the forms of 1D, 2D, 3D, 4D and even
5D as imaged below. Such a reference and use directly comes from the
mathematical studies of dimensional space.
Courtesy of: The Many Dimensions of Reality
An example of art depending heavily
on math is sheet music written by Beethoven. Considered by most as art, music
relies heavily on mathematical sequences at its core. Tonality can be
categorized by math through a hertz value while length of a sound is depicted
by the beat and given note value. Music as written relies greatly on math in
order to produce a song that makes sense and sounds right. However on the other
hand, the performance of music is greatly dependent on the performer. This is
where his or her artistic side can come to use where he or she can creatively interpret
the mathematical language written down.
Courtesy of: Page Large RSS
Although math in its purest form is
considered a science, it also has a distinct place in art. Math is applied
indirectly in art in order to achieve pleasing pieces that stand out and is appreciable
to society. While for the sciences, math is directly applied to continually
make developments towards progressing humanity’s knowledge and understanding of
the physical world around us.
Courtesy of: Dr. Pindea
Dr. Pindea claims that art acts as the visual representation that documents and celebrates scientific achievements. With this in mind, math is rooted in both the production of innovation and the public conveyance of said innovation. In this context, all three math, science and art are directly juxtaposed together.
Abbott, Edwin Abbott. Flatland:
A Romance of Many Dimensions. New York: Penguin, 1998. Web. 4 Apr. 2015.
"Beethoven Keyboard Sheet Music for Piano." PageLarge RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.
Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo 17.3 (1984): 205-10. JSTOR. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.
"Beethoven Keyboard Sheet Music for Piano." PageLarge RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.
Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo 17.3 (1984): 205-10. JSTOR. Web. 05 Apr. 2015.
"The Many Dimensions of
Reality." The Many Dimensions of Reality. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr.
2015.
Pindea, Mario, PhD. "Letting
off STEAM Assignment." Letting off STEAM. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr.
2015.
What is your opinion of adding art to the STEM field? I understand the need for an artistic dimension to science and math, but adding the whole field seems a bit extreme (especially since it has been deeply engrained outside of it). I would really like to learn more about what you said regarding the juxtaposition of science, math and art, as its a topic I'm still exploring myself.
ReplyDeleteI think as the art and STEM fields continue to grow with technology, there are many aspects where art is becoming part of the STEM fields. It is slowly growing to becoming a necessity of describing the sciences with art together. For example, every single building has an engineer and architect. The general idea is the engineer is responsible for the building usage and stability while the architect is responsible for the building master plan and appearance. Here, in a real life example, art is becoming directly engrained with STEM fields.
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