Week 2 | Mathematical Bridge between Art & Science
Mathematics serves an essential role in creating innovative artworks like hyper realistic origami in addition to designing scientific instruments. Robert Lang used math to transform square papers into detailed animal forms. He also highlighted the astronomical and biological uses of origami fundamentals. Engineering and math enables complex, computer generated folding patterns to launch large items into space or insert stents into human arteries. Theo Jansen presented another form of artwork that integrates mathematical functions. For example, the brain of his kinetic life form counts steps through a binary system and records its own location in relation to the beach.
Kate McKinnon describes math as not a creation, but rather a description of the natural patterns of the world. McKinnon specializes in stunning geometric beadwork. The arrangement of beadwork mimics the motion of knitting. The artwork appears aesthetic on the surface, but McKinnon links the geometric discoveries of beadwork to scientific explorations into DNA and even the early notion among indigenous people of a spherical Earth.
Necklace by Kate McKinnon
McKinnon showcased her own necklace which she described as a geometric capture of a spiral she tinkered into wearable art. The fascinating aspect of her team’s work includes the use of ratios like the golden mean as seen in one of the hats.
Many artists and scientists benefit vastly from collaboration and/or multi/cross-disciplinary research. It is not only a waste to limit oneself to solely art or solely science, it is actually harmful to both discipline’s progress. Isolation risks stagnation.
Although math serves as a communicative link between art and science, one of the interesting juxtapositions is discussed on the topic of fractals, spirals, and the Fibonacci sequence of the stock market. Math informs humans about behaviors and trends conducted by and within humans. Therefore, math bridges art and science, but it can be simply stated as a description of the natural world which art and science observe.
Sources
Abbott, Edwin Abbott, 1838-1926. Flatland: a Romance of Many Dimensions. New York: Dover Publications, 19531952.
Jansen, Theo. “My Creation’s a New Form of Life”. TED Talk. March 2007. https://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_my_creations_a_new_form_of_life?language=en#t-478880
Lang, Robert. “The Math and Magic of Origami”. TED Talk. February 2008. https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_lang_the_math_and_magic_of_origami#t-938805
McKinnon, Kate. “Contemporary Geometric Beadwork”. April 5, 2021. UCLA DESMA 9 class website. https://cole2.uconline.edu/courses/1669262/pages/week-2-lecture-recording-3?module_item_id=77987961
Socioeconomics Institute. “Fibonacci, Fractals and Financial Markets - Socionomics.net”. May 31, 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE2Lu65XxTU
Photos
Robert J. Lang Origami. https://langorigami.com/about-robert-j-lang/
Necklace by Kate McKinnon. https://beadmobile.wordpress.com/
Theo Jansen, Strandbeest. https://www.fkv.de/en/exhibition/theo-jansen-empathic-systems/
Hi Hope! I thought your blog post was really interesting in the way you included origami as the art form you chose to relate to math. I also liked how you linked mathematics to to modern computer based projects and how you expanded on those ideas. The use of the guest speaker in your discussion was amazing and properly summarized her art. Overall, a very good post!
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