mathematics in the service of arts | by hanna regev |

Mathematics has been a great contributor to visual arts for centuries. The influence is present in Islamic, Renaissance art, and more recently during the 20th century on artists that include Jesús-Rafael Soto, Carlos Cruz Diez, Youri Messen-Jaschin, Julio Le Parc, M.C. Escher, Julian Stanczak, Richard Anuszkiewicz, Yaacov Agam, Daniel Buren, Nicolas Schöffer, Peter Sedgely, Bridget Riley and Marcel Duchamp. - THE PROCESS For Cortez, as the Renaissance artists, the integration of science and art is key. Cortez believes that artistic expression is always evolving, and that technology is at its disposal to fully serve it, to challenge preconceived ways while producing exciting new forms. As for Cortez, the use the language of mathematics is a creative process and a tool to visualize complex geometries that are visually compelling and physically arresting. The explorations start with a somewhat simple equation that directs artist toward forecasts its geometry in space. The use of graphing software is tinkered to solve the equation and create increasingly more complex iterations until intriguing shapes emerge in a specific region of space. The artist rotates, explores and captures the construct from different views and angles. The final design constructs are printed on aluminum plates and also calibrated for video viewing. - (Hanna Regev, has an M.A. in Museum Studies and MA in Modern European History from San Francisco State University. She was president of the Docent Council of the California Historical Society, member of the board of directors and chair of collections. Regev completed a two-term service on the board of the African American Museum and Library in Oakland (AAMLO). She was President of the Northern California Council of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NCC-NMWA). She serves on the board of the First Amendment Project and lectures at the University California Berkeley Extension teaching a course on museum and museum careers.)