Project III (MATH3382) 2014-15

The Geometry of Perspective (J R Parker)

Description

There are many aspects of art that rely heavily on different aspects of geometry. In this project you will explore the mathematics of perspective: how to draw three dimensional objects on a two dimensional page.

As stated in the guidelines your project must contain mathematics at Level 3; this project is about the mathematics and is not just a series of pretty pictures!

This will use projective geometry and you will have to learn this material. A co-requisite for this topic is Geometry III, which contains material on projective geometry.

Resources

The following two web pages give possible starting points for exploring web based resources in this area.

  • Mathematics in Art and Architecture

  • Geometry in Art and Architecture.

    Here are three books that cover some of the relevant mathematics.

  • J.V. Field, The invention of infinity, Oxford UP (1997).

  • Kirsti Andersen, The geometry of an art: The history and mathematical theory of perspective from Alberti to Monge, Springer (2007).

  • Marc Frantz & Annalisa Crannell, Viewpoints: Mathematical Perspective and Fractal Geometry in Art, Princeton UP (2011)

    There are many books on projective geometry that will give you the necessary mathematical background. An example is:

  • H.S.M. Coxeter, The real projective plane, Cambridge UP (1953)