Art History & Mathematics - Miami Dade College

Description of the Themes of the Course

JANUARY

Real people make real art and real math:

Sung and unsung heroes/heroines in art and math

Methods: biographical readings, classroom discussion, slide shows, demonstrations of mathematical discoveries

FEBRUARY

Real art and real math make real history:

Cross cultural study of visual patterns created using two-dimensional symmetries

Art: slide lectures. Math: demonstrations of principles involved

MARCH

Order and chaos in art and math:

Historical survey

Art:  selected readings, slide lectures. 

Math: presentation of examples, work on open-ended problems and discussion

APRIL

Student project: use of math tools for a cross-cultural analysis of stylistic elements in art:

For example, graphical analysis of the six ways that passage of time is depicted in U.S., European and Japanese comic art.

Art: selection and analysis of subject matter. 

Math: organization of data and creation of graphical charts