This week was a really busy week because the term is ending on Friday. Unfortunately, I only had time to do a sketch of the artwork I selected.
The artwork I selected was Dart that can be found here: https://gallery.bridgesmathart.org/exhibitions/2011-joint-mathematics-meetings/jo-niemeyer.
Here is my sketch of the artwork:
The first thing I noticed about this art piece was parallel and perpendicular lines. When I was drawing the rectangles, I was able to reproduce the artwork by just noticing which lines were parallel/perpendicular. I appreciated that I used a lined paper because it helped me create connections in between the rectangles and their location. I also needed a good understanding of what is the meaning of half. After this draft, I wish I had time to reproduce it with cardboard paper or with wooden blocks and then try to rotate the artwork or use different angles. If I had more time, I wanted to explore the area ratios and the fairness of the game. I did not really understand the part about Hans Walser, so correct me if I am wrong, but I understood that there is a formula that helps calculate the justice condition of a game. I liked this theme of the artwork because it shows that mathematics is not disconnected from social sciences.
For my ELS students, reproducing this artwork could be very valuable to develop a meaning for the word of perpendicular and parallel. It could help them act those words. I also found myself having to use problem-solving skills while recreating the artwork, ones that I would not exactly use in a typical problem, but ones that I use on my day to day. This is also a conclusion that Kus & Cakiroglu (2022) drew while asking students to reproduce artwork.
In brief, this experience showed me how much math can be integrated in artwork. It showed me that math is not the opposite of humanities and arts, but can support and is embedded into humanities and arts. Now I wonder, how I should balance using movements, artworks, and written mathematics to enhance learning as much as possible.
Reference:Kus, M. & Cakiroglu, E. (2022). Mathematics in the informal setting of an art studio: students’ visuospatial thinking processes in a studio thinking-based environment. Educational Studies in Mathematics110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-022-10142-8
Although you mention that your artwork is a draft, I think that for the purpose of this activity it did exactly what it needed to do, and it didn't matter that it wasn't made out of a better quality paper, or with 3-D items.
ReplyDeleteI am curious what day-to-day skills you used here, you mention " I also found myself having to use problem-solving skills while recreating the artwork, ones that I would not exactly use in a typical problem, but ones that I use on my day to day." and I would love to hear more!
When I solve math problems from grade 9,10,11 curriculum, I often use strategies like creating a representation, simplifying the problem, validating my answer, etc. But for this type of problem, I had to approximate, use visual cues of the other rectangle to locate where the next line would be, and plan which rectangle or line would help me to keep drawing. Approximation is not a strategy I usually go for, but very present in my day to day, same goes for planning!
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