Monday, April 13, 2009

Reuben Margolin's Kinetic Sculptures

Here is an interesting art project I found last week that I thought I'd share with you:



The human perception of beauty is deeply rooted in symmetry and geometric shapes. I think most people would agree that proportions and shapes are very important in the construction of a painting or in the layout of a photo. Take, for example, the proportions described in the Vitruvian Man or the golden ratios built into the Parthenon, and we can see how our appreciation for mathematical principles is at least centuries old.

Reuben Margolin's kinetic sculptures are made with math-dependent precision yet are incredibly fluid, organic, and beautiful. I am impressed at the amount of patience required and the time spent preparing each piece. This type of artwork also reminds me how a lot of art ties back to our appreciation of nature, where a lot of mathematical principles are prominent.

Related links:

2 comments:

  1. He's a bay Area local! I guessed so when he plugged Urban Ore. I love how you still sneak in science in your art weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Of course-- art and science are two of my favorite subjects! I saw Urban Ore and was going to comment on that in the post, but decided not to... :P

    ReplyDelete