Appreciation

Richard Lippold

On a recent trip to the MoMA, I saw several pieces by Richard Lippold, an 20th century American sculptor with a background in industrial design. Lippold was known for his skill with geometry and engineering, creating beautiful pieces from wire, among other materials.

Lippold’s Ad Astra, which resides at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is seen here at the right. And there is a Lippold at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, called Sun, which apparenlty contains more than 2 miles of gold wire.

A lot of people live in the intersection of Math and Art, and they do some very cool things!

By patrick honner, 13 years4 years ago

Appreciation Art

Mathematical Snow Art

This is unbelievable: artist Simon Beck creates large-scale works of art by walking intricate paths in the snow. Check out the photos at his Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/snowart8848

Creating these works obviously requires great detail in planning and often days to execute. I don’t know how mathematical Simon Beck is, but his art is clearly mathematical in nature.

This really puts my snow art to shame. I’ll definitely aim higher next time!

By patrick honner, 13 years4 years ago

Appreciation Numbers

21022012

Happy European Palindrome Day!

Expressing today’s date in the typical European style [ Day / Month / Year ] gives us a palindromic date! Definitely a cause for mathematical celebration. Or at least mathematical appreciation.

I admit that, as an American, this doesn’t resonate with me as much as another recent Palindrome Day, but it’s always nice to take a moment and appreciate a good number.

By patrick honner, 13 years4 years ago

Appreciation Art Teaching

MfA Workshop with George Hart

As part of its mission, Math for America creates and supports interesting and diverse math learning opportunities for both teachers and students. A recent workshop led by George Hart, Chief Content Director of the forthcoming Museum of Mathematics, did just that, inviting a group of math-enthusiasts on an adventure through the worlds of geometry, engineering, and sculpture.

Inspired by Escher’s Planaria, Professor Hart designed and manufactured a linkage-system that can be used to build a face-centered cubic lattice. After assembling the pieces, the participants in the workshop were encouraged to build away!

It’s probably only natural that we became consumed with building something tall. And as we did, conversations arose about the role of symmetry in nature, as stability and strength in our structure seemed to demand it.

A fun, engaging, and mind-opening exploration of geometry, and much more! You can see more photos from this workshop on my facebook page and Professor Hart’s website.

By patrick honner, 13 years4 years ago