Math Art

What do you imagine when you think of math class? Pre-pandemic, a vivid scene of your math teacher distributing calculators on the first day of school may come to mind. But now? Things have changed. Why use a bulky TI-84 Plus, when your school and calculator can be right in front of you simultaneously? This is where websites like Desmos come in handy.

While studying concepts such as Algebra, Trigonometry, Statistics, or Calculus, you may have found graphing and visualizing an equation to be integral to your problem solving experience. With Desmos being widely regarded as one of the most intuitive and accessible graphing calculators, it is no wonder that students and teachers alike gravitate towards it for math classes.

But have you ever thought about using a graphing calculator for something other than math?

Math art (or graph art) is in and of itself a relatively new phenomenon, but the concept of math and art going hand in hand has existed for centuries. The different shapes, patterns, measurement, and unique symmetry are what make art beautiful.

“The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous paintings in the world. But thinking about it now, do you really picture a starry night? Or do you picture the sinusoidal functions and Bézier curves that make up those cosmonautic clusters?
And, who would have thought that the table cloth in “The Last Supper” could be drawn by using linear equations?

Applications like Desmos make this type of artistry accessible to students around the globe. Furthermore, trying to transfer a certain image from your mind onto a graph, using this type of medium, is also a great way to hone your skills in mathematics in general.

So, what are you waiting for? Happy graphing!

Picture Source: desmos.com