Tuesday 17 July 2012

Art from Mathematics?

I read an article on WonderHowTo about making Art from Mathematics and decided to give it a go. This piece is all about Fibonacci and the Golden Spiral.

I started by drawing two 1cm by 1cm squares next to each other. Underneath these I drew a 2cm by 2cm square. Working anticlockwise I then added a 3cm square, 5cm square and so on until my canvas was completely covered. This produces a sequence of squares with side lengths 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, … since each new square sits next to the previous two. A sequence that we all recognise as the Fibonacci numbers, don’t we?! Anyway, the Golden Spiral is created from these squares by constructing quarter circles in each square as shown below…

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My artwork required me to complete each quarter circle into a complete one so that I was left with circles of radius 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and 21cm. Thankfully my compass just about stretched to the 21cm.

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I have now painted the piece with acrylics and it will hang alongside my string art in my classroom from tomorrow morning. I wonder how long it will take my classes to notice the Mathematics hidden within it! Those Year 10s who regularly read my blog (you know who you are – and did ask for a shout out!!!) are excluded from the competition!

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