Colour modularity in mathematics and art

Abstract

Scientific inquiry and art are not mutually exclusive. Science is built on facts and based on knowledge, observation, and experiment. Art originates in imagination, experience, and feeling. Both tap distinct sources of information and creativity. Nonetheless, art combined with science greatly enrich the public discourse and Society itself. At the time I entered art school, mathematics was not supported in the curriculum, which made it challenging for us to develop the cognitive skills necessary to understand complex mathematical problems or the nascent computer technology. My interest at the time was already leaning toward the communication component of visual art. Semiotics and visual communication principles base their findings on proven, repeatable facts. Looking for a productive alternative to developmy skills in that direction, I started exploring on my own various principles of Euclidian and non-Euclidian geometry from a perspective highlighted by the Bauhaus in the 1920’s (Bauhaus Verbund Office, 2019) promoting a closer relationship between art, science and technology. Later in my career, I fortuitously met two mathematicians who altered deeply my perception and comprehending of this field of scientific investigation. The first one, Alex Bogomolny (2018), introduced me to the dynamic of mathematical reasoning, describing and solving in simple and clear terms a series of Sangaku Japanese problems from the Edo period I was studying for a design class. He encouraged me to explore the tablets’ unique geometry with my own vocabulary and colour cues to solve the problem. An approach that was so rewarding that I put it into practice in my design classes to enrich students’ appreciation of the connections between science and visual communication. Similarly, in the early aughts, Dr Richard Palais (2004) developed amathematical visualization program that introduced me to the notion of space curves, polyhedra, and surfaces in simple but striking visualizations. He encouraged me to share my results in privileged forums such as ISAMA and Bridges. Inspired by the work of Sequin, Fathauer, Kaplan among many, I started to convert abstract mathematical concepts into meaningful art statements, and doing so, expanded substantially the scope and depth of my research. The example below demonstrates how an inspirational series of lectures by Dr Sarhangi, Jablan, and Sazdanovic (2005) on colour-contrast modularity presented at several Bridges