Week 2: Math + Art

Mathematic's Influence on Art

Mathematics and art often seem to be polar opposites, but have truly influenced one another for ages. We can easily imagine a modern artist using a computer (which is nothing more than a sophisticated calculator), but this has been true since art began. For example, the pyramids of Giza, often revered as great feats of architecture, had to be engineered. The ratios of the pyramids mirror the golden ratio, which has been echoed in art throughout the ages. The same is true of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, an iconic sketch of the nude male form. The ratios are completely accurate and mathematically sound, again showing the amazing influence art has had.

Nowadays, when we are taught to draw from a young age, we learn about perspective. In fact, the only way to correctly represent depth in any image is through the use of perspective. Such is shown in Abbott's Flatland, in which he shows us many dimensions of the world and describes their importance. Regardless, we cannot ignore that mathematics clearly dictate how depth is displayed (and perceived, at least to a certain degree).

Music and Mathematics

Where math and art really intersect today is in music. For starters, music is nothing more than multiple sound waves, which are just waves of compressed air molecules. They compress and expand, creating waves that we can measure and record. From there, many musicians use computers to adjust the waves. They can simply alter volume, or amplitude, or they can adjust the frequency or pitch of the wave. Programs nowadays can generate sounds as well, further adding to the amazing ways mathematics influence music.

Sound waves as they exist in nature and mathematics

Below is an abstract art project from Leander Herzog, who used a computer program to perforate and cut plastic strips according to a specific sound pattern. As such, the resultant sculpture is a series of long and short loops, representing high and low pitches in the sound bite. We also see a complete disconnect from reality: this sculpture does not look like a familiar sound, despite being based on a piece of music. Here mathematics have allowed us to disconnect from and abstractly view sound, creating abstract art.

Sound waves imagined with laser-cut plastic ribbons

This week, I learned a lot about how mathematics, and specifically computers, can be used to alter and sample sounds. Much of the music we hear today has been altered in this way, but it is pretty odd to think that they are simply distorting sound waves. As such, I think that, despite that they are often mentioned as being very different, math and art are truly inseparable. They comprise not two sides of a coin, in which one has no bearing on the other, but a pair of siblings, where both feed of off and inspire one another.



References:

Abbott, Edwin A. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. Champaign: Project Gutenberg, 1884. Print.

Burk, Phil, Larry Polanski, Douglas Repetto, Mary Roberts, and Dan Rockmore. "Music and Computers." Music and Computers. Columbia University, 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/MusicAndComputers>.

Vesna, Victoria. "Mathematics: Zero, Perspective, Golden Mean." DESMA 9 Online Lecture. Online. 9 Apr. 2012. Lecture.

Loudspeaker Waveform. Digital image. Http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/images/loudspeaker-waveform.gif. Web.

Watz, Marius. "Abstrakt Abstrakt: Leander Herzog – Sound Object (data.matrix, Ryoji Ikeda)." Art from Code - Generator.x. 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. <http://www.generatorx.no/20101201/abstrakt-abstrakt-leander-herzog-sound-object-data-matrix-ryoji-ikeda/>.