Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
elements, blended with bigger projection window,
and depending on one's own focus of attention.
been often neglected in works by Paul Cézanne,
Pablo Picasso, or Vincent Van Gogh, proportion
was often changed by Henri Matisse, Jonathan
Borofski, or Fernando Botero, and so on. For the
technology-oriented people, involving in team-
work with an artist may bring a conflict between
precision and accuracy of ready solutions and the
artist's individual style. On the other hand, we
may find purposeful deformations in electronic
art resulting from translating, scaling, slanting,
and otherwise distorting the initial image, aimed
to depart from what the eye can see. One can
imagine many reasons for such transformations
and distortions. For example, some advertising
messages are successful due to impressive imag-
ing that gives a shorthand summary of patterns
of ideas. With purposeful deformations, we may
address some cognitive processes or make mental
shortcuts, reacting to synthetic signs, and implying
connotations to symbols or icons.
Visual reasoning has been considered a cogni-
tive activity because it leads up to concept forma-
tion, helps to comprehend logical structures, and
assists in analytical learning. According to Roger
Pouivet (2000), also an aesthetic experience is a
function of cognitive activity, and knowledge is
an emotional process: aesthetic pleasure and the
cognitive dimensions of aesthetic experience have
a direct connection.
Certain emotions are cognitive and may be
experienced in the field of science as well as in
the field of aesthetic experience. In his “Critique
of Judgment,” German philosopher Immanuel
Kant (1724-1804) (2007) wrote about judgment
of knowledge (conceptual judgment) and aesthetic
judgment (non-conceptual judgment). Therefore,
emotion accompanies scientific research, verifi-
cation of knowledge and the feeling of surprise,
when discoveries contradict our beliefs. A Greek
scientist and philosopher Aristotle (384 BC-322
BC) wrote about Tragedy, “Thus comes the ele-
ment of Thought, i.e. the power of saying whatever
can be said, or what is appropriate to the occasion
... the older poets make their personages discourse
An artist may know when this set of objects
is complete without knowing their number or
without counting them. Jean Piaget showed that
young children, when asked to copy a figure with
counters, do justice to the shape of the figure
without using the correct number of counters.
In a similar way, the artist creating a computer
artwork, when thinking with pure shapes, may
cause numbers to become filled with life and
reflect natural shapes. When a sound structure
needs a trinity to represent an intertwinement
rather than a contrast, two objects would induce
duality, while four would be redundant.
One may discern at least two approaches to
creating art, each of them often evoking a dislike
toward another one as undeserving to be named
art. Several artists who work in the fields both art
and mathematics (e.g., such electronic artists as
Manfred Mohr or Helaman Ferguson) found a way
to develop their individual artistic style through
applying mathematical rules that are seemingly
reverse to artistic expression. Some computing
savvy individuals look for artistic solutions using
applications to respond to the market demands;
they search the Internet and use plenty of tools,
applications, and solutions found on websites.
On the other hand, many times artistically
talented people are compelled to create art,
determined to do it with whatever is at hand:
a computer or a broom. Their powerful visual
reasoning evokes an outburst of strong emotions.
Moreover, while looking at the artwork consisting
from a few simple strokes everybody feels they
could do the same easily.
Completely different outcomes may result
from these two approaches. We may compare
perfect works of electronic design, completed
with first-rate tools, with intentional deforma-
tions characteristic of traditional mainstream art,
for example created by Francisco Goya, Alberto
Giacometti, or Amedeo Modigliani. Geometry has
