Is there any relation between math and art?
Many parents view art and math as completely separate subjects. This is because art is thought of as only creative, and math as only analytical. However, both disciplines are closely related. Math is an art of human understanding.
The famous mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci found repeating patterns in nature, making him one of the eminent mathematicians who popularized how elements of nature can be understood. Artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso, Kandinsky used math extensively.
One of the most famous pieces of art, known as the Mona Lisa, is drawn according to the Golden Ratio and has many golden rectangles. Kandinsky (best known for his abstract artworks) used many mathematical concepts in his most abstract works too like concentric circles, lines open and closed, triangles.
Visual artists and mathematicians use geometrical concepts, including shapes, proportion, and measurement. For this reason, many educators have changed their focus from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to STEAM – adding an “A” for art.
What happens when Math is taught with Arts?
Art engages the right brain and adds a sensory dimension to Math. Taking numbers off of paper and onto something children can touch and feel makes math more relatable and understandable. Hence, making it a more enriching learning experience.
When students can use their artistic skills and visually understand different math scenarios, they can easily solve them—from algebra to geometry to probability.
One of the effects that art integration into math will bring is increased motivation and curiosity in learning. Art integration in Math increases curiosity and aids in constructing a deeper understanding of math concepts.
Art is the catalyst that provides students with a variety of hands-on experiences to practice skills that encourage understanding of new material and reinforce familiar mathematical concepts such as ratios through fractions, proportion and scale.
Because art is known to evoke emotion, integrating math and visual arts can cause students to be more open-minded about math concepts, freedom to problem solve, draw conclusions and try new ideas. Thus, opening their minds to out-of-the-box solutions.
Math learning is always a necessity, but sometimes it can be overwhelming for students. By helping students learn the usefulness of math, it creates a fun way for them to retain the information better. This allows them to discover all kinds of uses for math in their daily lives that they might not have realized existed before.