Ricardo Nemirovsky and J. Brooke Ernest
Our view is that art projects in mathematics courses enrich students’
understandings of mathematical ideas, by making memorable to students
aspects of the learning process. Thus, students in our courses create
mathematically-inspired art projects. Students' sources of inspiration
are diverse–such as, classroom mathematical activity, individual life
experiences, and aesthetically pleasing, emergent, visual patterns.
In our Technology in Teaching Mathematics course, each student uses
dynamic geometry software to create a design that incorporates one or
more ideas of complex function geometry. Each design is embroidered,
using an embroidery machine, and becomes a square of a class quilt.
In our Foundations of Geometry course, each student uses dynamic
geometry software to create a design where projective geometry must
play a fundamental role. A stencil is cut of each design, and students
use the stencil in conjunction with an airbrush to paint their design
in any way they desire.
Artist: Steve Dale
"I was thinking to myself, that I should make a simple design that
I can manipulate on the canvass, but then when I woke up one day,
I had an idea I couldn’t shake. I wanted to play with the
construction of the golden spiral and the transformations that
could be done with projection.
When I do music performances with the bands I’m in, I like to
leave a little bit of the performance up to chance, and mood, so
that I can feed off the energy in the moment. I think retaining a
little spontaneity in the process lets more of my unconscious self
into the art (of any type). So, I didn’t plan everything
completely out, I decided on the colors the moment before
painting. Also, I allowed decisions about in the shading and depth
of color, and the, kind of, sub-shapes created inside of the
shading happen while I was painting so that hopefully I could
unconsciously let the canvass retain a bit of my own perspective
and personality."
Artist: Whitney Niceswanger
"I used the theorem that states two triangles perspective from a
point are also perspective from a line as the basis for my design.
I put a spin on this idea to say that two triangles perspective
from a point are still perspective from a point after being
projected, which is what my painting shows.
The process of creating my painting illuminated the hidden art
behind projective geometry. This art in turn revealed the subtle
connection between all the theorems, in that they all deal with
the alignment and symmetry of space and objects, which lays the
foundation for patterns and design. Viewing math through the lens
of art frees math from the confines of its stereotypical image as
difficult and boring. This allows for the abstract aspects of math
to be delved into and enjoyed, like with art, rather than feared
and misunderstood. Seeing Mathematics as an art form facilitates
just the kind of creative thinking that is a requirement for a
good mathematician."
Artists: Spring 2010 Technology in Teaching Mathematics students,
San Diego State University
Each square on the quilt was designed by a student using ideas
from the geometry of complex functions. When you touch a square of
the quilt on the the accompanying iPad - which displays a photo of
the quilt - a video of the artist will play describing how they
constructed their design.