Art & Mathematics: The Ultimate Combination
By: Samuel Kamalendran
In today’s world, there are two abilities that the vast majority of people believe come naturally to certain people and cannot be developed by those who are not gifted by these subjects: art and mathematics. These two topics are a bane for the many who do not believe that they are talented enough to succeed at one or both. However, the ability to create art, whether that be in the form of visual art, drama, or music and understand the workings of our world and universe through mathematics, are the most effective ways to become a better thinker, learner, and problem solver. Fortunately, exceptional talent in both areas is completely attainable by hard work, consistency, dedication, and passion. In this article, we’ll be discussing how these two areas of exploration and study have the potential to change the world when combined and how each and every one of us can become well-rounded and smarter, more able people.
For millennia, art has embodied human nature, emotion, and experience. From 35,000-year-old paintings on the walls of dark caves in Indonesia to the musical masterpieces of Johann Sebastian Bach in Germany during the 18th-century, mankind has used art to put its identity on display. Art, by definition according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.” In other words, art is the thoughts of people exposed to the world. The forms these thoughts can take when they leave the minds of their creators are copious; from visual art to music to drama to dance to even writing.
By using art, many have been able to share their interpretations of the world with others, which has given so many the chance to look through the lenses of others and gain new perspectives and ideas which could not have been obtained in any other way. Art connects us: it empowers us, it changes us, and it moves us. It is an extremely powerful tool. It can lead to the dethroning of kings, the downfall of nations, and razing of whole ethnicities. However, it can also save millions of lives, feed the hungry, make joyous the hearts of the mournful, and reshape our world in a better and more positive way.
It is limitless and abstract, which can be inferred from the words of one of the most influential composers of the 19th and 20th centuries, Claude Debussy, who said, “Works of art make rules; rules do not make works of art”. Art has no rules; it can go anywhere and moves to its own beat (sometimes, quite literally). This is what makes it different from mathematics, which so clearly seems to be bound to a set of laws, which are not penned by any man but exist in the way patterns occur in the world around us. It seems as though all that can be measured, calculated, and proved through mathematics must follow these rules, which have not, cannot, and will not change. The difference between these two subject areas is very significant as it is the key to understanding why arts and mathematics are so important and shows us the reasons why we should spend time to develop our abilities to do and understand them.
Simply put, the contrast between mathematics and the arts is what makes them such an amazing and powerful combination. Like in any mix of two very different things, this mixture will result in amazing results (whether this is a chemical reaction, a team of experts, or a computer composed of components that were each made by the brand which is known for making that specific part).
In the case of arts and math, the combination of creativity and critical-thinking and problem-solving is what makes this bond a weapon in the hands of all who possess it. Arts, not being under any law, allow for us to unleash our imagination and enthrone our creativity. However, in many cases, we cannot immediately understand how to put our creativity into words, pictures, or actions. This can be seen in the dreams of a child, who may wish to fly to the moon, swim to the bottom of the sea, travel through time, or read minds. The child may have a great imagination that creates beautiful and unique situations but lacks the ability to actually manifest these thoughts. This is where mathematics comes in.
Through the applications of math and science, math being the foremost subject, these imaginations can become reality. This gives us a likeable circumstance, where we can make our desires a reality. However, art and math do not just combine to create our own utopia. Creativity is the key to succeeding in mathematics. Why? Critical thinking is how problems are solved. However, to be a critical thinker, one needs to be creative. They need to be able to see solutions in the midst of crises, which may not be very visible at first sight; and if they don’t or can’t; they can imagine solutions. Creativity opens up new ways to solve problems, which may seem to disobey the rules. When one looks at a problem through the eyes of creativity, which can be developed through practicing art, design, creating music, dancing, or writing, the solution of a problem can be found. Interestingly enough, the lawlessness of art and creativity is what is necessary to discover and apply the laws of mathematics.
This ability to use art and math to solve problems is absolutely imperative in today’s world. There are many problems that humanity faces every day. Considering climate change, political tension, societal problems, fires, floods, and nuclear bombs and mankind’s destruction, today’s world offers the most challenges to humanity than it ever has. Sometimes, such challenges cannot be solved in a conventional, law-abiding manner. Sometimes, we need to break the rules to change the way we approach a problem. We need to be both creative and analytical to find the optimal solutions to our problems and we need to be both creative and analytical to put those solutions into action. Such minds that wield the power of these fundamental skills will be the movers of our society, the risk-takers and the problem-solvers who will alter the way we live, think and move. Such people will be those who change this world and show it what they are capable of.
Sources:
Breeman, Dan. “The Difference Between the Left and Right Brain.” WebMD, 18 Apr. 2021, www.webmd.com/brain/the-difference-between-the-left-and-right-brain. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021.
Marchant, Jo, and Justin Mott. “A Journey to the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World.” Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Jan. 2016, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world-180957685/. Accessed 14 Nov. 2021.
