Week 2: Math + Art

In her lecture, Professor Vesna talked about how having a good or bad teacher can heavily influence our attitude towards a certain subject, and eventually contribute to the career decision we choose to pursue.  I found this to be very true, seeing that math is the subject I struggle the most with, and have avoided throughout my time in college.  However, math plays a large part in art whether we realize it or not.  After this weeks lecture, I now have a greater understanding of vanishing points, the golden ratio, and other aspects of math that are present in math.  

The Last Supper

Leonardo da Vinci utilized vanishing points in his art all throughout his lifetime.  A vanishing point is a place in a piece of art where parallel lines are directed towards in order to provide depth throughout the image.  One such example can be seen in one of his most famous pieces, titled The Last Supper.  The golden ratio, which is approximately 1.618 and represented by the greek letter phi, is a number that is believed to be the most aesthetically appealing as well as provide the most balance.  Math and art can also be used as a juxtaposition, creating a piece that can be deceiving.  As a child, I always thought optical illusions were very interesting.  It is fascinating to see how math and art are used in order to produce them.

Optical Illusion

Example of a vanishing point

"20 Amazing Optical Illusions - Listverse." Listverse. N.p., 16 Sept. 2007. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Brownlee, John. "The Golden Ratio: Design's Biggest Myth." Co.Design. N.p., 13 Apr. 2015. Web.                      10 Apr. 2016.

"Long Ride Into Vanishing Point by Lin Haring." Fine Art America. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

"The Last Supper (Leonardo Da Vinci)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

Uconlineprogram. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 09                        Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.