Apparently so, when we first began this input, I was very sceptical that I could be won over by thinking maths in fact can create beauty. I was unsure what the outcome of the lesson was going to be. Little did I know that by the end of it my mind would be blown.
From thinking back to school all I remember in my maths jotter was pages of equations, sums, decimals, multiplication… the list goes on! But maybe it is possible to create something in maths which is not purely number based? Children would most likely be motivated by maths if we used ways in which are creative and exciting rather than boring equations.
In fact, maths can be used to improve and progress in our artistic skills. It is suggested that maths and art work in partnership together and that majority of art is all founded upon mathematical concepts (Barrow 2014). Patterns created by artists all have their own individual processes, these are known as algorithms in mathematics which is basically a set of instructions to follow to successfully create a pattern.
Self portrait
By using measurement in maths, it allows us to create far superior portraits than if we simply guessed where our facial features are positioned on our face. We can use basic mathematical concepts – shape, measure and fractions – to improve our drawing skills and make portraits look more realistic by ensuring the facial features are in proportion. The human face is naturally symmetrical anyway so to create a better and more realistic image it makes sense to mirror this when drawing a portrait.
It is believed that symmetrical features make a more “beautiful” and “healthy” face. These ideas are suggested by (Bader, 2014) who believes that a more symmetrical face displays good health. Is this just a coincidence? When we think how Mathematics affects our lives daily without actually realising could our brains be made up in a way that makes us think and see in this particular way? There is an idea that supports this thinking. Bader (2014), explains how our brain functions in a way in which we interpret images that are symmetrical a lot easier than asymmetrical.
Another mathematical term we can use for creating the perfect image through measurement is “the golden ratio”. This term is a Mathematical ratio whish is used to create a more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing image. It is usually found in nature, and when used in designs it gives natural looking structures that are pleasing to the eye (Gross, undated). There are many designs and creations that have been developed with the use of the golden ratio, these include The Mona Liza, Pyramids of Giza and even Social media logos including Twitter! (Gross, undated). An example of how our bodies and faces follow the Mathematical ratio can be seen below:
It is suggested that or brains are “hard-wired” so that we favour items and pictures which are created with the golden ratio (Gross, undated).
The Rule of Thirds
Another way that is probably slightly easier to create images by using the golden ratio is “The Rule of Thirds”. Although it isn’t as accurate as the golden ratio it has a very similar effect (Gross, undated). To follow the rule of thirds divide your photo into 9 equal parts with 2 vertical and 2 horizontal lines. The rule implies that the most important object in your photo should be positioned at the point of intersection. By placing the main object off–centre it is believed to create a more interesting photo to the human eye.
After looking at some photos online I have realised that in fact this idea may very well be true! I looked into some professional photographers on a social media sight where I seen the rule of thirds used in many pictures. When looking at the pictures which followed the rule of thirds and then again and images that did not it became clear that other people had the same opinion. The volume of “likes” were sometimes almost doubled when the image followed the rule of thirds, compared to when it did not.
To be sure I had been in fact influenced into this belief I decided to try it for myself by editing some photos that were already in my library. Below you can see that by following the rule (in my opinion … well slightly … as he is always beautiful in my eyes) the image does indeed become even more beautiful.
Image 1 – not following the rule.
Image 2 – edited to follow the rule.
To sum up my thoughts and feelings towards this lecture, I can believe how much my eyes have been opened to maths covering so much more than sums and equations! It has developed my thoughts further in to how Maths surrounds us, unconsciously, EVERYDAY! It has most definitely impacted my thoughts on how I hope to introduce maths as a teacher, and it most definitely will not follow my memory of textbooks, jotters, pencils and rubbers.
References
Bader, L. (2014) ‘Facial Symmetry and Attractivness’ The evoluation of human sexuality. Available at:https://sites.psu.edu/evolutionofhumansexuality/2014/03/24/facial-symmetry-and-attractiveness/ (Accessed on 13.11.18)
Bourne, M. (2018) The Maths Behind The Beauty , Available at: https://www.intmath.com/numbers/math-of-beauty.php (Accessed on 05.11.2018)
Gross, R. (undated) What is The Golden Ration? What you need to know and how to use it, Available at: https://www.canva.com/learn/what-is-the-golden-ratio/ (Accessed on 13.11.2018)
Pete, P. (undated) Top 10 Photography Composition Rules, Available at: https://www.photographymad.com/pages/view/10-top-photography-composition-rules (Accessed on 13.11.18)
