Art and Mathematics?

[Hausamann]

In reference to post #17 https://creativespark.art/threads/art-and-mathematics.5750/post-96374
The below photomontage (on wall) shows a sample of how peaky the top of the building can be even from photographs. Camera lenses also play a role making images out of proper perspective. I used what I learnt twenty years ago to make out a perspective layout of my local art society gallery.

Unfortunately I had a falling out with the society shortly after I joined. They did not want to see any of my paintings, or even photos of my paintings, until I joined an art class (at cost) for a few months. So I left with a sour taste in my mouth. I lost all interest in following through with this painting.

1992

 

[WFMartin]

Yeah, I believe that I make use of some math in my art. Primarily through the use of proportions, and geometry. It seems that in school, everywhere from grade school through college, we are often taught math that is basically theoretical, and that will do us very little good once we get out in the real world. For example, I don't believe that I have ever been required to "divide a fraction", since I was in about 4th, or 5th grade ! ! I truly don't believe I've ever done that since. I could not help a child with homework regarding such fractions, because I've forgotten how to do that!

However, I've got a really cool method for spacing fence posts, as they go back into the distance, that is based upon some sound laws of geometry.

 

[Bongo]

However, I've got a really cool method for spacing fence posts, as they go back into the distance, that is based upon some sound laws of geometry.

pray tell.

 

[WFMartin]

pray tell.

I'll have to search for the article. I used to provide it as a hand-out to my oil painting studnes.

 

[WFMartin]

I'll try postng my step-by-step method:

 

[WFMartin]

I discovered that art teachers are quite adept at explaining the concept that a sidewalk, or railroad ties become narrower, and narrower as they progress toward the vanishing point, but very few teachers I've known have bothered to explain to anyone how those same sidewalk cracks, railroad ties, or fence posts become closer, and closer together as they progress toward the vannishing point. The thing that I generally tend to forget when doing this is the placing of the middle vanishing point. Without that middle line there is nothing upon which to project your future placement for the post.

 

[stlukesguild]

We were definitely taught the technique of "fence posting" in Art back in Middle School and again in Art School as a method of rendering how windows on a building, tiles on the floor, railroad ties, or fence posts appear closer as they recede in space. Usually, however, the student must first master the basic concepts of one- and two-point (and maybe three-point) perspective. From my experience in classes taken as required to maintain my Art Education (Teaching) license, I suspect a great many students were never afforded much education with regard to any degree of linear perspective as many of the students (adults) in these classes seemed to find even the concept of one-point perspective and a vanishing point completely new. All the various mathematic formulas involved in linear perspective can get quite complex... but we should remember, linear perspective is only one method of suggesting Space and Depth. Color and Atmospheric perspective can be just as important.

 

[stlukesguild]

For all this talk about linear perspective, I must admit that I stopped using it quite some time ago. When I began working on my large figurative paintings I did employ linear perspective as I was studying this as part of an independent study continuing education course I was taking to renew my teaching license.

The perspective I employed from the very start was exaggerated... tilted and rushing back into space. Around the time of the second painting... when I first employed gold leaf and halos... I realized that what really interested me was the patterns as opposed to the suggestion of space through linear perspective. I was already using a very shallow space and this became increasingly shallow and flattened over the years. This was undoubtedly inspired by my love of Islamic Art:

What is amazing about the Islamic use of mathematics is just how simple it is to create as far as the tools necessary: