Museum exhibit shows importance of math in paintings

Nov. 3—An intersection of art and mathematics opened at Anniston Museum and Gardens Thursday night, illustrating a fundamental concept of design known as the Fibonacci sequence.

It's a mathematical formula found both in nature and in some of the greatest works of art of all time. Also known as the golden ratio, the Fibonacci sequence is simply a numerical pattern in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.

The sequence, as one of the signs in the exhibit makes clear, starts out 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13. The next five numbers in the sequence are 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and so on.

Alan Robison, AM&G executive director, was on hand at the opening to offer his insights into the exhibit on display at both the Berman Museum and the Natural History Museum.

"If you look in mathematics and art and nature there is a ratio that you see in plants and art and we're showcasing that for everyone in this exhibit," Robison said.

Robison said the nautilus shell, which has chambers arranged in an approximately logarithmic spiral, and the sunflower illustrate the golden ratio.

"Once you see it, it's hard for you to unsee it," he said.

"It's a beautiful exhibit because it's a way that we can marry what's happening in the Berman Museum along with what's happening at the Natural History Museum. It's a subject that crosses both of our interests," he said.

In the spring, plants that feature the Fibonacci sequence will be grown and will add to the variety of the exhibits, he said.

The display at the Berman museum included great works of art along with sculptures, while the exhibit at the Natural History museum includes plants, animals and large graphics of celestial bodies.

Some of the works of art on display at the Berman Museum include the Mona Lisa, The Sacrament of the Last Supper and other well known paintings. Next to each painting is a smaller version that has lines that illustrate the Fibonacci sequence. Of course the larger paintings themselves are not the originals, but they are the same size as the originals.

Mary-Eloise Leake was at the opening with her husband. Leake studied the paintings and was taken by how a mathematical formula was used when the artist painted them.

"I think this is fabulous. This is a whole different way to look at art, it's very, very interesting but it also makes you think. The Salvador Dali one (painted in 1955) particularly is arresting, I thought, because a lot of this is Renaissance," she said.

Lucile Bodenheimer said she is well acquainted with the works of Salvador Dali having visited the Dali Museum in Spain a few years ago.

"I'm glad to see it, it's very educational. It's got a wide variety of examples of this formula, they did a good job ... it stretches her mind," Bodenheimer said.

Jacqueline Casey was looking at the various examples of the golden ratio with her family.

"I think it's pretty fascinating to see, because when you normally look at the artwork you don't see the Fibonacci sequence but when it's pointed out to you you can see where it's at," Casey said.

Robison said the display will be up for six months at the Berman Museum and one year at the Natural History Museum.

Staff writer Bill Wilson: 256-235-3562. On Twitter @bwilson_star.