Using Art to Explore Math and Math to Create Art

Christina Sng for Maths@Singapore

I’ve written about this topic before because it is one that intrigues me and I find the connection between math and art infallible. 

Yet, many schools are dropping art or making it optional when it should be part of the curriculum. What can parents do? 

We can ensure our children still receive an education in art, even if schools do not provide it. Here’s why.

Art and math may appear to be polar opposites: Right brain vs. left brain, creative vs. analytical, imaginative vs. practical. But the truth is, many of the core skills in art and math are closely related. 

As Deborah Farmer Kris in her PBS article “Picture This: Using Art to Explore Math (and Math to Create Art)” explains:

“Both disciplines require spatial reasoning skills and the ability to recognize patterns. Artists andmathematicians use geometry in their work—including shapes, symmetry, proportion, and measurement.

For this reason, among others, many educators have changed their focus from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to STEAM – adding an “A” for Art.”

We may see ourselves as only “an art person” or “a math person”, but we can be both. Utilizing the overlap between art and math helps us strengthen our skills in each and expands our vision of what it means to be an artist and a mathematician.

“Math can be creative! Art can be analytical! Both can inspire our imagination.”

Visit https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/picture-this-using-art-to-explore-math-and-math-to-create-art for ways to help your children become an artist and a mathematician.

Thanks to Daniele Levis Pelusi @yogidan2012 for making this photo available freely on Unsplash