Geometry

The title of the book jumped out at me from the shelf in the art museum shop. “Geometry Makes Me Happy” it proclaimed. Math has always been my nemesis with the exception of geometry where I got to draw pictures.

I opened the book and found every page to be a delight and inspiration. A compilation of the work of many young artists from around the world whose art is based on geometric elements, the volume highlighted fine art, photography, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, street art and architecture.

I normally weigh purchases carefully, but this decision was instant. The book needed to go home with me. The books I add to my collection are all working books. I use them to develop art projects and gather information for my young people’s programs. Rarely do I leave the house for school without a bulging book bag. The quality of the reproductions in art books far surpasses those on a Smart Board……and the network doesn’t go down.

“You will love this art project” I told my middle schoolers when we began our geometric art unit. They did. Check out samples of their creations below. Geometry made us all happy. How sad that art is being eliminated from so many schools all over America.

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7 thoughts on “Geometry”

  1. Karen….isn’t it great that scientists are leading an effort to get the Koch brothers and their tainted dollars off the boards of The Smithsonian and N.Y. Natural History Museum. Now we the need the big art museums and concert halls to say “no thank you” to the Koch dollars as well.
    Oars and donor lists

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  2. Jeff…..your comment is so perfect. It is almost as if you have been in the schools. But don’t blame the public schools. The rich WANT our public schools, the foundation of true democracy, to fail and they are starving them so unfettered capitalism can be taught in for profit charter schools that are not held accountable for the tax dollars they receive. I see it all in the many schools I work in and I am so afraid for our future as a democracy. I believe in public schools and also private schools that don’t ask others to pay for their particular beliefs.

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  3. Art and Ed: To be honest, the value of museums housing “old masters” has been deprecated in my mind after seeing the art being developed around the world, especially through the “Urban Sketching” group. I’ve learned so much through viewing, which is what museums were supposed to offer but have now been surpassed through computers and large screens. ,,,, saw the documentary “It’s Me, Hilary” about the artist/author/illustrator Hilary Knight and learned how such an extra-ordinary talent involved, which included taking 1000s of hours of videos so he could observe people’s expressions. … the visual components of life, as seen through geometry, deeply inform us. Thanks for the thought-provoking article, Mary! – http://www.vogue.com/12882298/lena-dunham-hilary-knight-eloise-documentary/

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  4. What a tragic and telling commentary on America it is that art, music, and even physical education are being cut from our schools. At the same time, while we’re eliminating these apparently “discretionary” matters, our children typically graduate from high school unable to put two paragraphs together, and American students rank nowhere near the top in math and science.

    So what exactly ARE we producing in our schools? Overweight, uncultured, oblivious new adults who don’t read, stare at their smartphones, idolize the Kardashians, take pictures of themselves, and are obsessed with nothing more than money, sex, and gadgets.

    I’m consistently perplexed with the fact that people all over the world yearn to “move to America and live the dream.” To them I ask: Seriously?

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  5. This is so good – the students projects are beautiful! And your point about the frightening consequences of the loss of art from the curriculum is so important. Thankful for the precious pure seed of art you have planted in so many students over the years!!

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  6. Even though math was not in my wheelhouse, I found the integration of math and art a real passion for me. Many of my most successful and fun lessons taught students how the subjects were related. Often they first learned to use math tools in art class.

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