MathTrek: Form Plus Function
Sam Wormley
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061118/mathtrek.asp
Nestled beside a national wildlife refuge, the Noyes Museum of Art in
Oceanville, N.J., seems an unlikely place for an exhibit featuring
art rooted in mathematical concepts. Nonetheless, its galleries
currently feature works by four contemporary artists whose art has a
strong mathematical element.
Called "Form + Function: Mathematics and Beyond in Contemporary Art,"
the exhibit features artworks by Sol LeWitt, Steven Gwon, Mark
Pomilio, and John Sims. The exhibit runs until Jan. 7, 2007.
Born in 1928, Sol LeWitt is known for his conceptual art. "In
conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of
the work," LeWitt wrote in 1967. "When an artist uses a conceptual
form of art, it means that all the planning and decisions are made
beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea
becomes a machine that makes the art."
LeWitt's series of vast wall drawings exemplify this approach. In
effect, the artist conceptualizes the work and provides the
instructions--an algorithm--for what should appear on a wall.
Assistants and volunteers then implement the instructions.
See: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061118/mathtrek.asp