Week 2: Math and Art

This week’s lecture and reading heavily discussed Fibonocci’s number, which is the “sequence of numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, …, each of which, after the second, is the sum of the two previous numbers'' (Britannica). This is better known as the “golden ratio.”


I have only seen the golden ratio related to architecture. I never thought to examine it in other art forms. However, the Fibonacci sequence often comes in handy for crochet design and measurements (Press Reader). Below, I have included how the sequence can appear in basic blanket designs. Fibonacci’s number isn’t only present in art, but also in science. Plants in nature have been shown to exhibit this ratio. Sunflowers are just one of many plants that exhibit this; their seeds spiral in a pattern that reflects Fibonacci’s number and the golden ratio (National Museum of Mathematics). An example can be seen of a sunflower exhibiting the golden ratio below. This highlights that art, math, and science are very closely intertwined. 



Looking past Fibonacci’s sequence, math is still very intertwined with art. When looking at the Crochet Coral Reef (see below), I couldn’t help but notice how much math must go into constructing such a large artistic project; the artists denote the project as “manifestations of hyperbolic geometry.”This furthers the implication that art, science, and math sit at the intersection of one another. Failing to recognize and educate on how the three are interwoven, is a disservice. 


In my schooling, art, science, and math have all been distinguished as unique topics. However, this week’s topic has made it clear to me that STEAM, an initiative that seeks to move away from the juxtaposition of art, science, and math and push to integrate art, science, and math collectively into lesson plans, is the future of education (Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM). 


Works Cited 

“About the Project.” Crochet Coral Reef, crochetcoralreef.org/about/theproject/. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024. 

“Fibonacci Numbers of Sunflower Seed Spirals – National Museum of Mathematics.” MoMath, momath.org/home/fibonacci-numbers-of-sunflower-seed-spirals/#:~:text=The%20sunflower%20seed%20pattern%20used,34%2C%2055%2C%20%E2%80%A6). Accessed 12 Apr. 2024. 

“Fibonacci Sequence.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 8 Mar. 2024, www.britannica.com/science/Fibonacci-number. 

“How Else Can the Fibanocci Sequence Help?” PressReader.Com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions, www.pressreader.com/australia/simply-crochet/20180125/282840781463554. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024. 

“My Research: Golden Ratio in Nature, Golden Ratio, Fibonacci Sequence in Nature.” Pinterest, 25 June 2014, www.pinterest.com/pin/43628690115579601/. 

“What Is Steam Education?” The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM, 9 Apr. 2024, artsintegration.com/what-is-steam-education-in-k-12-schools/.

Comments

  1. Mallory McMillinApril 13, 2024 at 6:22 PM

    Hi Bailey,
    I think you did a great job at explaining the intersection between math, art, and science. I think it is fascinating that that Fibonacci sequence is not just math - it also pops up in art and nature too! Your examples of sunflowers and the crochet coral reef shows that math and art blend in unexpected ways. Great job tying it all together!
    -Mallory McMillin

    ReplyDelete

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