The article about Dylan Thomas traces his journey into mathematical art - sparked by his exposure to M.C. Escher in Grade 11 - which happens to be about the same time I was exposed to M.C. Escher, actually. Through some exploration of Escher's style mixed with traditional Salish designs, Thomas starts to see some similarities in the symmetry and rotation. Thomas' latest work, Infinity, was heavily influenced by M.C. Escher's Smaller and Smaller. It is based on dividing a square into smaller and smaller parts.
Salish art has always fascinated me. I was probably about 16 when I visited a Salish artist's studio in Gastown and learned about his work. My dad bought a series of his wood-carved pieces which still hangs in his living room 21 years later. Looking at Thomas' work through the lens of mathematical art, tessellations, and symmetry now as an experienced middle school math teacher is really captivating - I love the interplay of designs. Horizon on page 207 is such a cool piece of art, I am going to keep a screenshot of it to share with my students when we look at reflections later on this year.
There is limitless potential to combining math with art, and a student's interest in mathematical art can evolve into a rich cultural activity. Thomas' work serves as an example of the power of visualizing math in creative expression. I think his work will help my students to see math as a way to express cultural or other important ideas visually.
I don't really have a prompting question this week, just a consideration that the intersection of math and traditional and cultural art can inspire students to view math as an important part of cultural expression!
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