NEW VISIONS FOR THE LOVE OF SHAPES
We’re launching into an exploration of Beautiful Geometry this week with a look at some gorgeous new books, apps, and videos that visually celebrate the mathematics of shape.
Geometry is credited with influencing our aesthetic opinions. For more than 2,000 years, we’ve connected with the “golden rectangle”: subtract a square from a golden rectangle, and what remains is another golden rectangle, creating an infinite spiral.
The magical proportions (about 5 by 8) are so appealing to humans, a predominance of our creations conform, including most books, television sets, and credit cards. And, the golden triangle is the underlying structure for the facades of the Parthenon and Notre Dame, the face of the “Mona Lisa,” the Stradivarius violin, and the original iPod.
Image: Courtesy of Option-G.
Illustrator Cole Gerst created “Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry,” a masterpiece homage to architect/designer/inventor Buckminster Fuller, featuring over 200 very-full-color beautifully illustrated pages.
Image: Courtesy of Option-G. Hollywood Hills Dome
“We are on a spaceship; a beautiful one. It took billions of years to develop. We’re not going to get another. Now, how do we make this spaceship work?”
- R. Buckminster Fuller
Image: Courtesy of Option-G. Climatron
The book covers Fuller’s life and work, including his most significant contributions and accomplishments, pushing geometric forms further than any anyone had ever dreamed before, such as the “Jitterbug Transformation” and the Geodesic Dome, as well as his quirky Dymaxion Car and Climatron.
Image: Courtesy of Option-G. 4D Towers
Readers can also dip into the friendships and collaborations between Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright, Albert Einstein, Charles Eames, George Nelson, and Isamu Noguchi.
Option-G; 1ST edition (2013)
Image: Courtesy of BIS Publishers.
PHILOGRAPHICS
“Philographics,” by Genis Carreras is about the beauty of simplicity in communications. It’s all about “explaining big ideas with simple shapes.” With a genius use of basic geometric shapes and colors, Carreras merges philosophy with graphic design.
"It takes the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 28,250 words to explain the woolly concept of relativism. It takes Genis Carreras 32 words and a single image. If you ask me, he doesn't even need the text."—Co.Design
"Remarkable visual eloquence in his Philographics project."—Brain Pickings
Image: Courtesy of BIS Publishers.
Carreras started with a Kickstarter campaign, beginning with 24 posters, explaining philosophical theories like Dualism, Free Will, Existentialism, and Idealism, using only shapes and colour. He then expanded his vision to 95 designs, each of them depicting a different 'ism' using a unique combination of geometric shapes, colors, and a short definition of the theory.
You’ll say both “of course” and “wow” as you consider each design, which is, of course, the ultimate compliment for these graphic jewels.
BIS Publishers (2014)
Image: Courtesy of Princeton University Press.
BEAUTIFUL GEOMETRY
Geometry is a visualization of the art of mathematics. “Beautiful Geometry,” by Eugen Jost, is a visual 2,500-year-old history of geometry, with more than sixty exquisite color plates illustrating a wide range of geometric patterns and theorems.
Photo: Courtesy of Princeton University Press. Eugen Jost.
The theorems include a brief fascinating glimpse of the people behind each one. With artwork by Swiss artist Eugen Jost and text by acclaimed math historian Eli Maor, this unique celebration of geometry covers numerous subjects, from straightedge-and-compass constructions to intriguing configurations involving infinity.
Princeton University Press (2014)
Image: Courtesy of Basic Books.
LOVE & MATH: THE HEART OF HIDDEN REALITY
In "Love and Math," renowned mathematician Edward Frenkel focuses on the beauty, elegance, and art of mathematics.
Part autobiography, part math lesson, part love story, Frenkel’s passion for mathematics is pulsing from every page.
Frenkel, one of the twenty-first century’s leading mathematicians, was a victim of anti-semitic practices and was denied access to education in his native Russia. But that didn’t stop him from pursuing his studies and moving on to become an esteemed professor at both Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley.
He now works on one of the biggest ideas to come out of math in the last 50 years: the Langlands Program. Considered by many to be a Grand Unified Theory of mathematics, the Langlands Program enables researchers to translate findings from one field to another so that they can solve famously sticky problems, such as Fermat’s last theorem.
Photo: Courtesy of Times of Israel. Frenkel.
Frenkel is one of the most creative math teachers you will ever encounter. Who else would use a borscht recipe to try to teach you quantum duality. (Recipe included in the book).
Basic Books (2013)
//player.vimeo.com/video/15492339Video: Courtesy of Edward Frenkel on Vimeo.
And, he’s probably the first mathematician to appear nude on film. Check out “Rites of Love and Math,” a silent short film, starring and co-directed by Frenkel.
Photo: Courtesy of MOMA PS1.
Paying homage to cult classic, “Rites of Love and Death,” Frenkel plays a mathematician who discovers the mathematical formula for love, which he tattoos, for safekeeping, on his lover’s body.
Image: Courtesy of Dimensions.
While this isn’t a new series, Dimensions, an incredible nine-part animated film, released in 2008, presents geometry in such an exquisite and intelligent way, we had to revisit it for our series on Beautiful Geometry. It features some of the most important and beautiful ancient and modern mathematics.
Photo: Courtesy of Dimensions.
Created by Jos Leys, Étienne Ghys, and Aurélien Al-va-rez, the first chapters of the film introduce geography and the geometry of the sphere. Later chapters delve into the fourth dimension. The final chapters present a fairly elementary treatment of complex numbers and topology.
You can watch this wonderful series here.
Released: 2008
Photo: Courtesy of The Verge. Geometric Art.
You can create killer optical illusions and beautiful geometric patterns with Isometric, a new iOS app, for iPhone and iPad, from inShare.
You start, as all artists do, with a blank canvas/screen. Each time you tap it, a diamond shape pops up. Then you start to mess with it. Rotate it three different ways. Color it. And watch your basic shapes come alive, in mad Escherlike designs.
Photo: Courtesy of The Verge. Geometric Art.
Isometric will sync your designs between devices using iCloud.
You can get even fancier with filters and color shifts. And you can export your designs.
Check out the app developer’s Tumblr for some colorful inspiration, available today.
And finally, we found a great list, from this reddit user of some of the most beautiful geometry theorems for you to ponder. (User’s comments in parentheses).
Desargue's Theorem (projective geometry is sick!)
Feuerbach's Theorem (woah!).
Theorem of Menalaus (incredibly strong and useful!).
Morley's Theorem (just wtf cool!)
Poles/Polars and Inversion (looks awesome!)
Nine Point Circle (covers a lot!)
Butterfly Theorem! (great for picking up ladies!)
Apollonian Circles. (slick!)
Isogonal Conjugates (incredible!)
Power of a point / Radical Axis (simple but the best!)
Photo: Courtesy of Pamojaeducation. Math Tools
Read more about Beautiful Geometry, it relates toArts/Design,Nature/Science,Food/Drink, Place/Time,Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact in our posts throughout this week.
Enter this week’sBN Competition. Our theme this week is Beautiful Geometry. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 02.09.14.