How do Artists Use Math?

Traditional art mediums as painting an sculpture use math calculations for perspective and realistic renderings. Prior to the invention of the camera, a painter or sculptors were the only people able to render a likeness of someone. This portrait work was extremely difficult and expensive, reserved for royalty, church officials and wealthy landowners.

Greek Pythagoras
The classical architecture of Ancient Greece built on the math of Pythagoras. The triangulation theorems, a squared + b squared= c squared, for example. The temples were built on numerous geometric structures, the triangle being a repeated geometric motif through out the Greek architecture. 

Consider another mathematical form, the golden section or Fibonaccis' triangle, repeatedly exhibited in Greek art. The basic theory is a mathematical sequence demonstrates certain shells patterns growth or growth patterns in leaves.  A geometric focuses on proportion. Fibonaccis' sequence was naturally developed and inherently most pleasing to the eye. Art becomes supreme when imitating these God inspired, natural patterns. Or in Ancient Greece, the inspiration of the Gods and Goddesses.

Phidias, a famous Greek architect stated, "Success in art, is achieved through the extensive and meticulous use of mathematics". 


Perspective Drawings

 
The most daunting task in Western Art is to create lifelike portraits, interiors and landscapes. The Books of Hours, a medieval art form that the early Christian monks adhered to, began a long traditional search for realism. Each generation of court and church painter attempted greater renditions of Christ's scenes in greater realism, or portraits of the wealthy, high church officials or royalty.

Not until Albrecht Durer, 1525, the famous German painter invented the Durer perspective machine did the fusion of math and art culminate. Durer discovered a perspective formula in optics, then translated that formula to a grid for the artist. He actually drew several diagrams of someone working with his machine. Many artists used the machine, even in contemporary art circles the machine remains in use to experiment with perspective and drawing without a camera.


Century Modern 2011
As mathematics embrace chaos theory, the incoherence of space and time is the outcome of our presupposed geometrically aligned universe. Art and architecture have highly adaptable drawing and painting systems that leave the old world of the Durer perspective machine behind, so humanity and the arts believe. Life teaches through art the dangers of too much confidence on a system no matter if the system reaches the expression of the systems' demise. Contradictions riddle both mathematics and art, as aesthetics and mathematics move into the new century.