Robotics+Math+Art (Week 2)

Before this week’s lecture, I used to always think that math and art exist as two completely unrelated fields. However, I learned from Professor Vesna’s lecture that art actually involves a lot of math, such as golden ratio and perspectives. Now that I learned about math and art, I noticed the numerous correlations between them. In my math class, we have to draw graphs to help us illustrate our calculations. In those graphs, many also utilize the golden ratio, as shown in the picture below. 

Furthermore, I learned from Escher’s works that art and math alike uses a lot of “reflections, glide reflections, translations, and rotations to obtain a greater variety of patterns.” All of these terms appear commonly in math, especially in geometry. However, I never realized that artists use them as well. They use them to create art and form different shapes to express themselves.

I especially found Robert J. Lang’s work very interesting. He analyzes the relationship between origami and math. Many mathematical concepts, such as Huzita-Justin Axioms, help to turn origami from a 2-dimensional paper into a visually pleasing 3-dimensional figure. Origami also avoids the problem that industrialization creates. It does not involve mass production and instead each pieces is made individually, making them unique. 

Furthermore, through this week’s lecture, I learned that industrialization is impossible without science. Industrialization relied on using scientific devices and technology to make mass production easier and faster. Henry Ford’s mass production of cars is a great example as he demonstrated the use of science in making an assembly line in 1913. However, although industrialization led to mass production, it caused negative effects as it took away individuality. It produced materials in factories and people no longer have to make each piece by hand. Even art no longer has to be painted individually and can be copied massively in factories.

In today’s world, math, industrialization, art and science intertwine with each other in order to grant us a comfortable living environment. Scientists constantly use math and industrialization to produce technology for improvement, but these technologies also need art to make them appealing. Like stated in Professor Kusahara’s presentation, robots are great examples that combine these different fields. It uses math and science for manufacturing and art for making the public accept and use them. In my own world, the juxtaposition is also apparent as the mass-produced technologies overwhelm everyone around me.

 
Works Cited

"Ford." The Evolution of Mass Production. Ford, n.d. Web. 04 July 2014. <http://www.ford.co.uk/experience-ford/heritage/evolutionofmassproduction>.

Golden Ratio Diagram. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 July 2014. <http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emt669/student.folders/frietag.mark/homepage/goldenratio/image19.gif>.

Kusahara, Machiko. “Professor Machiko Kusahara on Japanese Robotics.” Robotics + Art. 04 July 2014. Lecture.

Lang, Robert J. "Robert J. Lang Origami." Robert J. Lang Origami. N.p., 2004. Web. 04 July 2014. <http://www.langorigami.com/>.

Mass Production of Cars. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2014. <http://www.johannes-pilz.com/portfolio/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/mass-production-300x168.jpg>.

Origami Flower. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 July 2014. <http://www.langorigami.com/image.php?image=/art/plants-flowers/orchid_1.jpg&width=600&height=450&cropratio=600:450>.

Popular Japanese Robot. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 July 2014. <https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPh3gYQ2_i4LZz_f72vyX3Gf0wmSispkJTQXqViaE5NNIeq7bnU-8BkoongQrmArkDPQhuX1twTMC_XR2CA5_IGk-k6V3Cp2zKQSu2qxKK451lAJ-Xa_gJnOQqQfQzOE_N7FxhYEb_Reg/s320/afplivetwo815184-japan-robot_610x314.jpg>.

Smith, B. Sidney. "The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher." Platonic Realms Minitexts. Platonic Realms, 13 Mar 2014. Web. 04 July 2014. <http://platonicrealms.com/>.

Vesna,Victoria. “Lecutre Part 2.” Robotics + Art. 04 July 2014. Lecture.

Vesna,Victoria. “Lecutre.“ Math + Art. 04 July 2014. Lecture.