Who knew math could be fun? Participants at the Bassett Community Center investigated art created by M.C. Escher and Piet Mondrian to explore the connection between art and math.
Although he explored different methods of art throughout his career, Escher is most famous for his mathematical designs that showcased tessellations and symmetry. Students discovered that symmetry is not only the mirror image of an object but that symmetry also occurs when the position of an object is changed without changing the shape of the object (i.e. rotational symmetry).
Students compared the artistic styles of Mondrian and Escher and discovered that Mondrian's art is abstract while Escher's art used shapes that are easily recognizable. Also, Mondrian incorporated asymmetry and Neoplasticism (using horizontal and vertical lines and primary colors) into his art.
