** PLEASE CIRCULATE ** ALL WELCOME **
Mystery and Wonder, Play and Discovery: Mathematics and Art as Creative
Activities
An LKL Maths-Art discussion event
Tuesday 8 January 2008, 6pm - 7.30pm
This month our event will take the form of an open discussion rather
than a long seminar presentation.
The theme of the discussion is to consider mathematics and art as
creative activities in imagined spaces: What are the motivations which
drive individuals to do mathematics or art? What characterises an
interesting starting point -- a "problem", as mathematicians
tend to say -- for work in mathematics or art? Interesting explorations
often begin with a mystery: why does a certain configuration of elements
behave as it does? Exploration leads from mystery to insight and
understanding, but good problems never lose their capacity to cause
wonder.
What are the benefits for mathematicians and artists of understanding
each other's ways of working and thinking? There is a stock answer which
denies anything in common: mathematical work is all terribly logical and
constrained, whereas artists can just be sensual and unconstrained with
their paint or whatever. But mathematical creation requires a measure of
sensuality and lack of constraint, and artistic creation cannot function
without the use of constraints and systems (rules) to generate, for
example, the initial marks on the paper, and how they may be re-worked
and refined. So there is a middle ground where the insights are worth
exploring.
We have invited several short presentations by mathematicians and artists
to motivate the discussion. If you would also be interested to make a
short presentation on the theme (maximum 5 minutes) please contact us as
soon as possible with a brief description or illustration [
[log in to unmask]]
.
TIME: 6.00 - 7.30pm, Tuesday 8 January 2008
PLACE: London Knowledge Lab, 23-29 Emerald St, London, WC1N 3QS
[Travel information / Maps at:
http://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=32
]
All welcome. No reservation required, but an email to
[log in to unmask] would be appreciated for planning
purposes.
NEXT SEMINARS:
12th February: Simon
Schofield, Experiments in Digital Surface Generation: Stochastic
methods of making interesting and beautiful textures.
11th March: Cameron Browne,
Truchet curves and surfaces.
Visit the website and seminar archive:
www.lkl.ac.uk/events/maths-art
Join the email list for future seminar announcements:
http://www.dcs.bbk.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/lkl-maths-art
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Dr Phillip Kent
London Knowledge Lab - Institute of Education
23 - 29 Emerald St
London WC1N 3QS
[log in to unmask]
tel 020 7763 2156 mobile 07950 952034
www.phillipkent.net
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