DESMA9 Week 2- Math + Art

This week I noticed some of the different ways science is incorporated in art- technical ways, such as the develop net of linear perspective; as the subject of a piece of art; and used through art to with relation to humanity.

It was interesting to learn about the development of mathematical equations and principles that could accurately depict appropriate size and scaling of objects within a painting, illustrated by the transition from works such as Duccio to those like Brunelleschi's.

These both contrast with Escher's works, such as Relativity.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Escher%27s_Relativity.jpg

In the previous two artists, mathematics influenced the portrayal of other objects; mathematics itself wasn't a subject in the paintings. Escher's works directly incorporate it- what sparks our interest is the mathematical or physical impossibilities present in the scene, not necessarily what is going on. Ie, people walking on staircases in a versus a scene with three distinct points of gravity. Escher's works sometimes resemble optical illusions, possibly because he was influenced by the Penrose stairs.

http://www.optical-illusion-pictures.com/paradox.html

Theo Jansons kinetic creations called 'Strandbeests', featured in his Ted talk from the resources tab, are his idea of creating another life form. The precision required to build these creatures  is incredible, and hints to a possible future where this type of kinematics combined with technology could be a form of artificial intelligence.

There are many dystopian novels that use science and technology to comment on  society,  often creating a syfy or futuristic setting such as 'brave new world'. 'flatlands' takes it a step further, creating a world not even human, but composed of linear and geometric shapes. Uses this setting steeped in mathematics in part to comment on caste systems and how our society handles information and progress.

http://www.integralworld.net/slaughter1.html

One thing that stood out to me in the suggested shows and movies was the emphasis of empathy in the tv show NUMB3RS. It contrasted the main character, a brilliant mathematician, with other typical characters who show either disregard to human life, or a misguided view of humanity, such as a serial killer or a scientist who justifies the murder of a few to aid the greater good. Often science and technology is presented in a negative way (think back to brave new world or the mad scientist) and it was interesting to see a 'good guy' mathematician.

Citations

Escher, M. C. Relativity. 1953. Cornelius Van S. Roosevelt Collection, Netherlands. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Apr. 2015.

Harris, Beth, and Steven Zucker. "Linear Perspective: Brunelleschi's Experiment." Khan Academy. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/early-renaissance1/beginners-renaissance-florence/v/linear-perspective-brunelleschi-s-experiement>.

"Paradox Illusions." The Eye's Mind. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.optical-illusion-pictures.com/paradox.html>.

Slaughter, Richard. "Transcending Flatland, Essay by Richard Slaughter." Integral World: Exploring Theories of Everything. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <http://www.integralworld.net/slaughter1.html>.

"Theo Jansen: My Creations, a New Form of Life." YouTube. 6 Sept. 2007. Web. 13 Apr. 2015. <https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b694exl_oZo>.

DESMA9 Week1- Two Cultures

The division between arts and sciences is something I’ve never really put much thought into. This division has become clearer at UCLA.

 

https://www.facebook.com/517894448330147/photos/pb.517894448330147.-2207520000.1428305940./579403352179256/?type=3&theater

I entered as an applied math major, which placed ne solidly in south campus. This identification as a ‘science-y’ person resonated with me, as I’ve always liked math better than writing or history, but I didn’t give thought to this division between north and south as directly influencing my thoughts.  Last quarter I switched to economics, and it was a little weird being closer to the middle of the spectrum. The parts of Snow’s essay about the perceptions literary intellectuals and scientists have of each other stood out to me. I fear I had fallen into that trap a little last year, segmenting UCLA students and ‘identifying’ with a group, further solidifying the division between arts and sciences.

These differences pointed out in Snow’s essay reminded me of a story I had read in a collection of stories- Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! Richard Feynman was an accomplished physicist, and his friend was an artist. They decided to try and teach each other some of their vocations, and so a physicist learned to sketch.

http://www.museumsyndicate.com/artist.php?artist=380

Part of why this interested me was their discussion about beauty; I linked a quote from Feynman below that illustrates it.

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/184384-i-have-a-friend-who-s-an-artist-and-has-sometimes

I think this shows how science can enhance something generally thought to belong to art- beauty. This goes into questioning beauty as something simple or deriving from understanding, as a simple flower is much easier to relate to for me than some of the more abstract sculptures in the sculpture garden, which I know absolutely nothing about.

http://algorithmicbotany.org/papers/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Murphy_Sculpture_Garden

  Similarly, there are many ways in which the humanities can enhance scientific education.

Some of the division possibly derives from the perceived worth of the subjects. As stated in the Changing Education Paradigms animation, our education system is very industry focused, and its ‘purpose’ is to get employed. A running jokes is that south campus majors are guaranteed good jobs, while north campus majors aren’t. Though said commonly as a joke, this hints at a difference in perceived worth between the humanities and sciences. Some hurdles to overcome are these perceptions: stigmas and stereotypes associated with different subjects, and making positive connections- such as what each can contribute or how they can enhance each other- instead of reasons why they’re different.

Citations:

UCLA Snaps community Facebook page. Photograph. n.p. Web. 4/5/2015 <https://www.facebook.com/pages/UCLA-Snaps/517894448330147>

Richard P Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!.     1985. New York : W.W. Norton.

Richard P Feynman. Dabney Zorthian. Alphonse Mucha Fine Art. 1964. Photograph. n.p. web. 4/5/2014.

<http://www.museumsyndicate.com/artist.php?artist=380>

Richard Feynman quotes, Goodreads. Web. 4/5/2015. <http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/184384-i-have-a-friend-who-s-an-artist-and-has-sometimes>

Springer-Verlag. The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants. Algorithmic Botany at the University of Calgary. 1990. Web. 4/5/2015. <http://algorithmicbotany.org/papers/>

Jacques Lipchitz. Song of the Vowels. Wikipedia. Photograph. n.p. web. 4/5/2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Murphy_Sculpture_Garden>