There exists a positive correlation between Math and art. Mathematics has itself described as an art and science which is inspired by beauty. Mathematics is widely applied in various art fields like music, painting, sculpture, textile and architecture (Gamwell, 2015). The application of mathematical knowledge in art has been in existence for more than a century, and as the modern generation put more of their resources in technological developments, the more mathematical concepts are applied to develop effective working technologies. Ratios, proportions, measurements, algebra, calculus, geometry, volume, area and perimeter are some of the broad mathematical fields that have been applied in art; mostly in visual art. Mathematics has both directly and indirectly affected the development and the growth of art. Mathematical conceptual tools such as golden ratio and symmetry analysis have been applied in the development of drawings, creation of furniture, kitchenware and even in dancing. Ancient leaders developed designed drawings that demonstrated the application of mathematical concepts in sculptures. Churches developed sculptures of their great leaders, kings developed sculptures displaying the memories of various events that took place during their reign, and museums host eye-capturing creations to demonstrate the importance of history. As technology advances, the more mathematical concepts are integrated into artwork. Computers are fed with formulas which are used to regulate music sounds, help in guitar playing practice and development of architectural designs. This paper will try to analyze the connection between mathematics and arts.
Lynn Gamwell (2015) in her book Mathematics and Arts: A Cultural History, tries to bring a connection between the cultural history of western civilization, mathematics, religion, philosophy, and work of art which were motivated by ancient mathematicians (Gamwell, 2015). Considering the ancient artwork, mathematics was mostly applied in sculptures development, architectural work, and painting. This doesn’t mean that dance, poetry, and music don’t use mathematics, but the application of math concepts in these fields is not well brought out as compared to the work in visual art (Gamwell, 2015). Mathematics concepts were first brought into application in the artwork of Babylonian calculus and creation of pyramids in Egypt (Kalajdzievski, 2008). Application of mathematics progressed to another level where it was employed by great philosophers like Galileo Galilei and Kepler who were able to develop a clear understanding of the sun, moon, and planets and produced a simple drawing of the solar system. As time progressed, discoveries were established which led to human life improvement. The discovery of proportion and geometry boosted the architectural work, and it was even made better when the golden ratio a concept in mathematics came into application.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Courtesy of Egyptian Art
This image is a demonstration of how Egyptians applied mathematical concepts in the development of sculptures and architectural work.
Many writers on this topic try to develop the history of math application in art and scientific fields. After the analysis of various philosophers and artists who brought meaning out of the complex mathematical concepts by putting them into the application, Lynn Gamwell shifts to explaining the application of math in the computer era. Geometry concepts were developed in computers to create realistic graphics, digital photography, and creation of computer animations which are part of art (Doris Schattschneider, 2003). Math concepts have also been used in the development of visual DJ application software which is used to regulate song sounds and beats to produce an entertaining mix. Mathematic has been used in the creation of art where simple objects like compass and straightedge were among the first products of math-art integration. Artisans have developed great tools like chairs, tables, wooden flowers and portraits which are well decorated. In their work, so many mathematical concepts come into application even without their knowledge. For example, in the development of a tool like a portrait, geometry, measurement come into play, and still, mathematical knowledge will still be needed in painting the portrait (Cucker, 2013). “The intricate Moorish tessellations in tile, brick, and stucco that adorn their buildings and the equally intricate tracery of Gothic windows and interiors are a testament to the imaginative use of ancient geometric knowledge” (Doris Schattschneider, 2003). This statement reflects the importance of the application of mathematics in decorations. Simply, we apply mathematical concepts in every day of our lives, sometimes realizing it, but in most cases, we never do. Mathematics give birth to art which in return helps mathematic concepts have meaning.
Courtesy of Egyptian Art
This image a design developed through mathematical concepts and is used in making of tiles, carpets and other decoration products.
From this study, I learned that mathematics and art could not be separated. If math is not applied to a piece of art, the piece lacks the essential taste of art (Gamwell, 2015). Artists apply math in their work, but sometimes they don’t realize that they are using math. This is because sometimes it is intricately linked. I have realized that mathematics in art is not always visible unless you put much effort to identify it. I have also learned that in most beautify piece of art I come across, there is a lot of symmetry, geometry, and measurement that are involved in making that piece of art attractive. Application of mathematics in arts is essential for developing beautify art especially sculptures and drawing. In painting, a lot of knowledge in math is required: different patterns, designs, and shape are applied in painting which are products of math (Cucker, 2013). Many people perceive art as a discipline that doesn’t require mathematics simply because in painting, drawing or composing music no calculation is done like the one done in a mathematics class. The fact that sometimes mathematics is not visible in art does not mean it has not been employed. If you analyze any piece of art carefully, you will realize that a lot of math was applied in coming up with that piece. Many people are involved in artwork, but they don’t recognize that mathematics is responsible for maintaining the orderliness of what art offers.
References
Cucker, F. (2013). Manifold Mirrors: The Crossing Paths of the Arts and Mathematics. . Cambridge University Press. , 163–166.
Doris Schattschneider, M. C. (2003). Mathematics and Art -- So Many Connections. Math Awareness Month- April 2003: Mathematics and Art , http://www.ams.org/publicoutreach/msamhome/03-essay3.html.
Gamwell, L. (2015). Mathematics and Arts: A Cultural History . Princeton University Press .
Kalajdzievski, S. (2008). Math and Art: An Introduction to Visual Mathematics. . Chapman and Hall. .
Stanek, B. (2014). Van Gogh and the Algorithm: How Math Can Save Art. Time Magazine .
