Sunday, April 10, 2016

Unit 2: Math + Art

The three subjects act as gears that have the capability of functioning as one unit.
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In this week’s unit we studied how mathematics developed as a basis for the Arts and the Sciences. I’ve learned how geometry, proportions, and particularly the Golden Ratio and the Vitruvian man play integral roles in Arts and Architecture as well as Science and the understanding of the human anatomy (Reference 3). This information, in addition to the idea of two divided cultures from last week’s unit (Reference 4), has presented me with an insight that the subjects—math, science, and art—are equally divided cultures but require collaboration in order to advance knowledge in each field (Reference 5).

DaVinci's Vitruvian Man shows the connection between art, geometry, and anatomy.
(Reference 1)

One historic figure representing the perfect melting pot of all three fields is Leonardo DaVinci. DaVinci’s unwavering knowledge in each subject is credited to his abilities to find connections between all three and shape them in a way that one field is progressed by aspects of the other two. One of his many contributions, the creation of the Vitruvian Man, embodies aspects of science, art, and geometry while advancing knowledge of human anatomy and creating an idea of a way to scale measurements in mathematical situations (Reference 5). 

DaVinci's Mona Lisa is an example of how he embodied the Golden Ratio in his artwork
(Reference 1)

Many of DaVinci’s various contributions to society involved incorporations of all three fields. He created the lasting impact that anyone is capable of pursuing sciences and arts while using mathematics to act as the connection between the two. He proved how the Golden Ratio can be used to create beautiful architecture and unique art, science and math can be used to understand perspectives in paintings and drawings, and math and art can be used to understand science of human anatomy (Reference 1).
Not only did DaVinci use math and science to further his artistic career, but he also used his abilities in art, science, and math to further his career as an inventor and engineer.
(Reference 2)

References

1. Andrei, Mihai. "5 Things Leonardo Da Vinci Did to Change the World." ZME Science. 19 May 2008. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://www.zmescience.com/science/geology/5-things-leonardo-da-vinci-did-to-change-the-world/>.
2. "'Leonardo Da Vinci' 카테고리의 글 목록." DEN. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://ened.tistory.com/category/Leonardo da Vinci?seq=2>.
3. Uconlineprogram. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 09 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg>.
4. Uconlineprogram. "TwoCultures Pt2." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Mar. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUr4xxZ_0gw>.
5. "Vitruvian Man." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitruvian_Man>.

2 comments:

  1. Great blog overall. I have a couple of questions. Do you believe that without mathematics influencing the sciences, or arts, nothing would ever progress. Can a field progress on its own without help from another field. Also the Golden ratio is mentioned quite a couple times, but I'm still confused as to what it actually is. Is it just a ratio, a number, or is it much more. And how does this Golden Ratio actually appear in the Vitruvian man, in architecture or in other pieces by Da Vinci? Thanks for a great read.

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    1. Hi. Although the three have an influence on each other I believe they are still able to prosper on their own. However, they will not advance as significantly as they would if the other complements are incorporated. For example, if you are attempting to advance artistic skill but only use the concept of the color wheel, your level of artistic skill won't advance as much as if you were to incorporate the understanding of ideas of geometry and proportion (math) or human perspective-- how images are seen by the brain (science)-- into pieces of art you are creating. Regarding the golden ratio, it is simply a mathematical set of values of the "perfect rectangle" that contributes to artistic proportion-- I believe its about a 1:1.6 ratio. It is depicted in architecture such as the Parthenon, as well as DaVinci's artworks such as the Last Supper and Mona Lisa. The ratio isn't necessarily prominent in the Virtuvian Man, those are just the two main, separate, concepts I chose to reference from the lecture. Thank you for the feedback!

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