Eclipse

Description: 

Eclipse, which was on display in the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, features a “helical explosion of every face, rotating from a dodecahedron through an icosidodecahedron to a small rhombicuboctahedron.” Aside from the fact that da Vinci produced the first printed images of several of these polyhedra, the most interesting part of this sculpture is the way that it depicts the interconnectedness of the shapes in one grand figure. Likewise, the fluid transformation from one shape to another is certainly evocative of da Vanci’s elevated polyhedra.

Source (for image and quotation above):

Perry, Charles O. “On the Edge of Science: The Role of the Artists Intuition in Science.” Leonardo, vol. 25, no. 3/4, 1992, pp. 249–252., doi:10.2307/1575845.

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Timeline of Events Associated with Eclipse

da Vinci inspires modern works in mathematics and art

1970 to 2001

Although da Vinci’s geometric sketches did not cause radical changes in mathematics, modern mathematicians and artists alike take inspiration from his geometric figures and interest in the transformation of shapes. George Hart is a professor recently retired from SUNY Stony Brook whose research was heavily inspired by da Vinci’s polyhedra sketches; by integrating the fields of math, computer science, and art he developed a computer program that synthesized new hybrid polyhedra. Likewise, several artists have been inspired by da Vinci’s thoughts on the transition of shapes. For example, sculptor Charles Perry created structures that depict abstract shapes underdoing transformation.

Sources

Shearer, Rhonda Roland. “Chaos Theory and Fractal Geometry: Their Potential Impact on the Future of Art.” Leonardo, vol. 25, no. 2, 1992, pp. 143–152., doi:10.2307/1575702.

Perry, Charles O. “On the Edge of Science: The Role of the Artists Intuition in Science.” Leonardo, vol. 25, no. 3/4, 1992, pp. 249–252., doi:10.2307/1575845.

Peterson, Ivars. “Polyhedron Man.” Science News, vol. 160, no. 25/26, 2001, pp. 396–398., doi:10.2307/4012851.

The image is taken from the following article "Polyhedron Man" that is listed above.

da Vinci inspires modern works in mathematics and art

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Artist: 

  • Charles O Perry

Image Date: 

1973