Week 2: Math & Art

           I have always found it incredibly intriguing how artists use scientific knowledge about human perception in their work to create both realistic depictions of the world, as well as optical illusions.  In a psychology class I took last quarter (Psych 120B) about human sensation and perception, a great deal of time was spent discussing the incredible feat our brain encounters and must overcome while attempting to understand what exactly we are seeing within our field of vision at any given moment.  This directly applies to this week’s discussion of perspective as a way to portray 3D space on a 2D canvas. 

2D vs. 3D image

           To accomplish this, one must understand and use optics as Al-Haytham first discussed in regards to the physical and mathematical calculations the human eye uses to carry out the task of seeing. This way of thinking about artistic expression in mathematical and scientific forms ultimately had great influence on Renaissance art in terms of the techniques used by artists to portray depth and realistic entities within their work.

Leonardo Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" 

            Since then, mathematics in art is still of great public interest today. Movies and TV shows such as the Da Vinci Code, 21 and Lost have taken this field to the next level by delving into people’s intense fascination with the relationship between numerical patterns and the real world. 

            It is possible that this consistent interest may come from the existence of mathematical equations in nature, such as the presence of fractals, patterns that are now known to have a mathematical equation, and the use of the Golden Ratio, a proportion that when used in art increases aesthetic appeal and also occurs naturally in the world.  These naturally occurring mathematical phenomena may serve as proof of the extreme importance of mathematics not only in the arts, but in the world itself!

The Golden Ratio, example in a sunflower

SIDE NOTE: a few days ago (4/8/15) was considered “Lost Day,” as in the hit TV series Lost, because the date and time corresponded to a sequence of numbers that was the source of great mystery within the show… just an example of the importance of numbers in the arts, as well as in people’s lives! (The clip below shows many of the times the same sequence of numbers is brought up in Lost!)

Sources:

"21 Trailer (Official)." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRzZX2aN3I0>. 

"FEATURES." Vivitek 2D-3D. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.vivitek3d.com/features.php>. 

Henderson, Linda D. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art Linda Dalrymple Henderson."         Leonardo 17.3 (1984): 205-10.JStor. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. 

Kurp, Josh. "Why ‘Lost’ Fans Have Been Waiting A Decade For Today." Uproxx. N.p., 4 Apr. 2015. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.  <http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/04/why-lost-fans-have-been-waiting-a-decade-for-today/>. 

"LOST: NUMBERS." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65FLP1ChetI>. 

"Nature, The Golden Ratio, and Fibonacci Too ..." Nature, The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Numbers. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/nature-golden-ratio-fibonacci.html>. 

Ouellette, Jennifer. "Pollock's Fractals." Discover Magazine 1 Nov. 2001: n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://discovermagazine.com/2001/nov/featpollock>. 

"The Da Vinci Code - Official Trailer 1 [2006] [720p HD]." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMba3fckhuQ>. 

"The Last Supper - A Study of the Painting by Leonardo Da Vinci." The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. <http://www.jaydax.co.uk/lastsupper/lastsupper.htm>. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov.” Cole UC online. Youtube, 9 April 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&feature=player_embedded>