It's International Day of Mathematics and, while many of us may be running for cover as soon as they hear the word "mathematics", as seen in previous posts, this can be an incredibly inspiring discipline.
There's certainly mathematics in fashion - think about pattern construction or the counting we do in knitting and crocheting. Mathematical ideas proved very inspiring for many contemporary artists, architects, and fashion designers: in the last few years we have seen for example designers creating clever examples of "Math couture", at times based on mathematical or geometrical concepts such as the Fibonacci series or the Navier Stokes equations, or moving from mathematical tools like the cuisenaire rods. But there are also interesting storylines in maths that can help us producing intriguing scenarios for a collection of garments or accessories.
The Winton Gallery at London's Science Museum is dedicated to mathematics and here it is possible to discover stories about the work of rather unusual mathematicians including sailors, aircraft engineers, early computer inventors, gamblers and garden designers. The gallery also features a variety of inspiring objects on display (but it is also possible to check them out on the gallery's website).
Charles Babbage's analytical engine, the first fully-automatic calculating machine, designed to evaluate any mathematical formula can be a starting point as it may inspire a narrative about Ada Lovelace who implemented it.
Embroidery and knitwear enthusiasts should maybe explore the possibilities offered by the electronic tide modelling machine by Shizuo Ishiguro, a Japanese ocean scientist at the Nagasaki Marine Observatory.
This depth-integrated single-layer two-dimensional electronic model based on hydrodynamic equations (a set of equations that describe the movement of a water body through a set of variables, another fascinating topic) was used to examine tidal surges and predict storm surges. The machine consists in a unit holding the input and output devices and another two units forming the mesh framework of the machine. This section with its cables and intricate structure could inspire intriguing and unusual textures.
Another inspiration if you're into textiles (or jewelry as well, as seen in a previous post) could be the geometrical groin vault, a string surface model built in 1872 in Paris by Fabre de Lagrange.
De Lagrange's string systems and models illustrated surfaces which can be traced out in space by the movement of a straight line. This particular model shows a groin, an oblique intersection of two vaults of similar spacing.
Looking for something more colourful that may inspire patterns and prints? Play with the Merrill-Palmer Scale of Mental tests for preschool children; originally devised in 1931 and consisting of 19 subtests of intelligence, it was used by the Department of Psychology, Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, during the post-war years. The set could even be the starting point to design an accessory like a handbag inspired by geometries.
There are very unusual shapes and silhouettes to discover in the models of the constant negative curvature surfaces of revolution, and in particular in the model of the "pseudosphere", a surface with constant negative Gaussian curvature, and or a hyperbolic type surface. So, there's nothing to get scared about maths: just look at it with fresh eyes and with an open mind and you'll be surprised by the inspirations you'll get.
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