The Seduction of Curves
The Lines of Beauty That Connect Mathematics, Art, and the Nude
Published on 19. September 2017
Book
Hardback
168 pages
978-0-691-17533-1 (ISBN)
Description
A lavishly illustrated book that explores the language of curves that spans the human body, science, engineering, and artCurves are seductive. These smooth, organic lines and surfaces-like those of the human body-appeal to us in an instinctive, visceral way that straight lines or the perfect shapes of classical geometry never could. In this large-format book, lavishly illustrated in color throughout, Allan McRobie takes the reader on an alluring exploration of the beautiful curves that shape our world-from our bodies to Salvador Dali's paintings and the space-time fabric of the universe itself.The book focuses on seven curves-the fold, cusp, swallowtail, and butterfly, plus the hyperbolic, elliptical, and parabolic "umbilics"-and describes the surprising origins of their taxonomy in the catastrophe theory of mathematician Rene Thom. In an accessible discussion illustrated with many photographs of the human nude, McRobie introduces these curves and then describes their role in nature, science, engineering, architecture, art, and other areas. The reader learns how these curves play out in everything from the stability of oil rigs and the study of distant galaxies to rainbows, the patterns of light on pool floors, and even the shape of human genitals. The book also discusses the role of these curves in the work of such artists as David Hockney, Henry Moore, and Anish Kapoor, with particular attention given to the delicate sculptures of Naum Gabo and the final paintings of Dali, who said that Thom's theory "bewitched all of my atoms."A unique introduction to the language of beautiful curves, this book may change the way you see the world.
Reviews / Votes
"One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018" "I have never encountered anything quite like [The Seduction of Curves], which I view as genuinely sui generis. . . . The (excellent) prose descriptions are accompanied by lots of illustrations, both photographs and drawings, quite a few of which are in color. . . . An unusual and eclectic book, and one that taught me a lot of things that I did not know before."---Mark Hunacek, MAA Reviews "To illustrate this little-known branch of mathematics, [Allan McRobie] draws on the art of David Hockney, Henry Moore and Salvador Dali, as well as Helena Weightman's superb photographs of mountains, mushrooms, reflections on water and naked bodies."---Matthew Reisz, Times Higher Education "Stunning. . . . The balance is such that it should appeal both to art lovers and those with a real interest in the mathematical basis."---Brian Clegg, Popular Science "Marvelous."---Adhemar Bultheel, European Mathematical Society "Can you find your own butterflies, swallowtails and wigwams? They are right there on your body: the geometrical figures that appear when smoothly curved surfaces are viewed from the right angle. Structural engineer Allan McRobie's The Seduction of Curves is your guide to these most intimate of mathematical objects."---Philip Ball, New Scientist "A delightful journey beyond disciplines. . . . The book intends to lead readers to see the world differently and I believe that in many cases it will, linking subtle mathematical ideas to the world they are surrounded by."---Edmund O. Harriss, MathSciNet "This book is a bold attempt at evoking multiple feelings towards curves. Allan McRobie deserves praise for sensually drawing parallels between the natural and constructed worlds."---Sudhirendar Sharma, Current Science "Both immediate and analytical, beautiful and informative, The Seduction of Curves is a successful hybrid of art book, representation of descriptive geometry, and explanation of mathematical concepts . . . . a book that entertains and teaches, pleases and challenges in equal measure."---Hans J. Rindisbach, European Legacy "Remarkable. . . . Successful . . . due to the erudition of the author plus the quality of the production both in the illustrations used and in the general elegance of the book itself. It would grace the grandest of coffee tables and provide the basis for interesting debates."---Phil Dyke, Leonardo ReviewsMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
New Jersey
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
179 color illus. 38 halftones. 69 line illus.
Dimensions
Height: 261 mm
Width: 217 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
860 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-691-17533-1 (9780691175331)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Allan McRobie is a Reader in the Engineering Department at the University of Cambridge, where he teaches stability theory and structural engineering. He previously worked as an engineer in Australia, designing bridges and towers.
Content
1 The Alphabet of Beautiful Curves 12 The Fold 53 The Cusp 144 The Swallowtail 225 The Butterfly 316 The Wigwam 357 Lips, Beaks, Gull, Goose 378 The Persistence of Cusps 439 Moire and Dupin 4710 The Umbilics 6111 Catastrophe Optics 6712 The Rainbow 7313 Gravitational Lenses 7714 Stability 8515 Morphogenesis 8816 Gabo 9417 The Pregnance of Curves 11718 Thom 12519 Dali 135Notes 147Bibliography 151Image Credits 153Index 157