V.I. – Sterioscopic Drawings by Maxwell

Back to J.C.Maxwell, his sterioscopic drawings, that is …

Stereoscopy, stereoscopic imaging or 3-D (three-dimensional) imaging is any technique capable of recording three-dimensional visual information or creating the illusion of depth in an image. The illusion of depth in a photograph, movie, or other two-dimensional image is created by presenting a slightly different image to each eye.

… gave an strong visual interpretation of mathematical and generally, hypothetical planes and spaces, much like a mobius strip etc. From page 158 of The Scientific Papers of James Clark Maxwell are the plates I. Horned Cyclide II. Parabolic Cyclide –

Also spotted in The Science Museum. Mathematics bit.

Sam Messenger

Beautifully worked pieces, mainly in pen & ink on paper, ‘exploring combinations of repetition, geometry, and direct observation’.

The Luxury of Protest

First day of the rest of my education, 28 weeks and dehydrating.

Group meet about summer work, personal work. Mumbled the way through my INT experience, talked about book club, Club Book. Positive response though no feedback. Decided to do a dissertation. Illustration within a scientific context. Or something more specific like – the requirement of illustration in proving/disproving scientific theory/phenomena when there is no literal, visible evidence. I.e. electron configuration, cross-sections of the sun/other planets, the carbon cycle, metereological forecasting. Or something more catchy.

As testement to this I will be posting daily a practitioner / studio / author / book / video / etc of something relevant to aforementioned bit o’ writing.

First up – The Luxury of Protest, studio of Peter Crnokrak, with his beautiful golden ratio which graces my mantle-piece.

““Maths Dreamed Universe” is a quantitative visualisation of the manner within which elemental forms in nature order themselves. The graph was created using generative Python code and maps numbers
0 to 100,001 arranged in a logarithmic spiral. The form of the spiral is determined by the Golden Angle subtension of a circle that distributes numbers from the centre (0) to the outer edge (100,001). The pattern that results is frequently found in nature, as in floral organs, and has been documented since Archimede’s time. The spiral reveals the visual relationships of elemental numbers and the aesthetic beauty of mathematical equations.

The project reflects the contemporary interest in the intersection of science and art – in particular the use of scientific methods to inform art practice. The primary motivation for creating the poster was to visualize the crossover of pure math with graphic aestheticism. The appreciation of what may be termed ‘purely aesthetic forms’ has a long tradition in art and design, but ornamentation is often derided as being little more than a fancy. But what if aesthetic appreciation was functional? What if beauty communicates and is thus open to analytical investigation? “Maths Dreamed Universe” is the first in a series of projects that examines meaning in aesthetics.”