Ask HN: Where is the intersection between Art and Logic?

[gallerdude]

I'm a freshman in University. Today I had an English class, where we analyzed a poem and debated what the message was. I also had some Calculus, where we began to learn about derivatives. I realized that I found both the of the topics really engaging.

Next year I'm supposed to declare my major (I've been wanting to go into CS for a while now), but I feel that would be ignoring a large part of me that likes art - I read and watch movies a lot.

Where do these two loves meet?

[rayalez]

For me - in 3D computer graphics. Check out SideFX Houdini, Maya, etc.

It's incredibly fun, engaging, and satisfies both of my drives, for creativity and for technical stuff.

When you're a digital artist(generalist), in one day, you can write a python script, experiment with rendering and shaders, draw a sketch, animate a character, whatever you want.

[ruraljuror]

I was an undergrad English major and I double majored in Classical Studies because I did not find the English major rigorous enough. I'm now pursuing a master's degree in Computer Engineering.

Regarding declaring a major I would recommend talking to as many advisors and people at your school as possible. Personally I would recommend sticking with CS (especially because that is your gut feeling) or another major with good career prospects, disabusing yourself of the notion that your major defines who you are as a person, and use your electives to take well chosen courses in subjects that you have interests in.

In general you want to keep options open if possible, so if you are really serious about both you might be able to double major. But double majoring in, say, English, would not make you any more true to yourself, but just, perhaps, more likely to be able to pursue grad studies in that field, and you did not cite that as something you are interested in. Instead, I would recommend heavily shopping your electives at the beginning of the semester and then choosing the ones you like the best. In general, the better classes will be taught by professors (not grad students), and the person teaching is more important than the topic.

[malux85]

Art is a totally subjective term, and "What is Art?" is a question that has been debated for thousands of years.

I think the best art is always an acquired taste.

I see well written source code as art. I see music as more artistic than poetry. I can appreciate paintings visually, but a machine that produces a painting (like the deep dreams) is more artistic in my mind.

The two are not mutually exclusive - mix them up!

The more fields you learn the more you can appreciate - Right now I look outside and see a tree:

- A biological organism in a different time scale, it's evolved as it needs to be, and continues to propagate. I think of the evolutionary tree of species, I think of it's niche. Its physical position on the globe, its symbiotic relationship with bacteria, and the parasitic relationship with the fungus.

- The chemist in me thinks about DNA, Xylem and Phloem. It thinks about CO2 consumption and O2 production. I think about photosynthesis and the electron chains.

- The mathematician in me sees fractal patterns of the branches. I think of my first OpenGL fractal program. I see symmetry and asymmetry at the same time. I see the golden ratio and powers of 2 in the lengths.

- The darkness in me sees only the shadow, it sees a man hanging in a noose. I see waves in a pond, and a dolphin.

- The survivalist in me sees fuel for fire, and the makings of a bow. I think about how to make activated charcoal to purify water to drink.

The more you know the richer your perceptual experience.

Learn both!

[fitzwatermellow]

"Parametricism": Computational architecture and large-scale urban design ;)

Zaha Hadid’s successor: my blueprint for the future

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/sep/11/zaha-ha...

[throwaway000002]

I personally love the work of C-C Shan¹.

Read "From word to sentence. A computational algebraic approach to grammar" by J. Lambek. Your university library should have a copy, if not press the issue to your librarian.

Start though with Smullyan's "To mock a mockingbird".

These suggestions reflect my taste. Art is a language, so understand how language is studied and use it to approach art.

If you're serious about the art part, make sure you make art, or at least dissect art you like using the formal tools you're introduced to.

Have fun!

¹http://homes.soic.indiana.edu/ccshan/

[jamesdelaneyie]

Low effort comment, but simply put: Design.

[arikr]

My advice: Don't ignore the part of you that likes art!

Two interests meeting is where great things happen.

> If you want an average successful life, it doesn’t take much planning. Just stay out of trouble, go to school, and apply for jobs you might like. But if you want something extraordinary, you have two paths:

> Become the best at one specific thing.

> Become very good (top 25%) at two or more things.

From: http://pmarchive.com/guide_to_career_planning_part2.html

[joeclark77]

I tell students that it would be good to have a "problem solving" major (such as engineering, computer science, business, or law) as well as a second major in a "problem" they care about, which could be anything from art to zoology. Then you have the ingredients for a career -- applying your problem solving methodology to a problem you know something about.

In your case, maybe you learn computer science and you apply it to some problem in art or the humanities.

[peter_retief]

I think art is art for its own sake, if you have a tool and decorate it, that would be a combination of a functional tool and art. Mathematics and derivatives in particular have enormous practical value yet many aspects of mathematics is pure art. Logic as art would be music, logical scales of sounds is definable an art. I have lost the thread of what I was saying so will leave my comment unpolished as performance art :)

[BjoernKW]

I'd say data visualisation, the kind of stuff that for example Mike Brondbjerg or Jared Tarbell do:

https://www.behance.net/mikebrondbjerg

http://www.complexification.net/gallery/

[p333347]

For non technological fields, I would say philosophy, investigative journalism and fiction (books, movies etc where you cover your bases). One might add whatever political analysis do too but to me they are basically fence sitters who say things without accountability or liability and are simply glorified whatiffers.

[undergrowth54]

Animation and computer graphics.