Mark Francis, 'There is Geometry in the Humming of the Strings, There is Music in the Spacing of the Spheres’: Conversations Across Art and Mathematics

Mark Francis and George L–Legendre, ‘There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres’: conversations across art and mathematics, Peninsula Arts Gallery, Plymouth University, UK, 9 Apr 2016 – 28 May 2016.

Art and mathematics have a long historical relationship, as the quote by Pythagoras (570-495BC) suggests. Mathematicians have been drawing and modelling geometric forms as a tool for investigating ideas for centuries and for artists such forms have long been fertile ground for exploring the world around us.

In 2015, the London Mathematical Society invited Barry Phipps to devise and curate an ‘Artist Associate’ scheme to celebrate their 150th anniversary. Two artists were selected to create projects around conversations with mathematicians, painter Mark Francis and architect George L. Legendre. Alongside the associateships, filmmaker Heidi Morstang was commissioned to work with the mathematician Professor Martin Hyland to produce a 60-minute film to examine how mathematicians think.

The exhibition presents the outcomes of conversations between the artists and the mathematicians who have influenced this work, as well as some past work which informed the ‘Artist Associates’ scheme. In these collected works we glimpse a shared conversation between the disciplines and find a history, creativity and future common to both.