Thursday, March 5, 2015

Simon Beck's Snow Art

I actually did this little write up below for my Geometry For Design class, but thought I would share on the blog too, since it is definitely art related. Funny, I had seen his work a few years ago, and thought "cool", and then went on with my life. Now that I saw it again while I am taking the Geometry class, it resonates so much more, since now I know how to draft some of the designs he uses!  Pretty cool when things happen in the right place at the right time.

The other night, while watching the Science Channel, I saw a short blurb about a man named Simon Beck, who makes giant “snow art” by making footprints artfully arranged in the snow.  An engineer, turned cartographer, Simon creates huge pictures in the snow, often very geometric (rather than free form) designs, and executes them with mind blowing precision. How does he do this on such a grand scale, using only his feet as the drawing tools? 

With Geometry of course…. and a compass. 

He figures out his designs based on a circle (360 degrees) and then uses a compass (360 degrees) to keep himself on track as to which direction on the circle to walk. He paces out the steps to determine the length of a given line, and repeats the same pace in multiple directions according to his design.


This example features the isosceles 60-degree triangles.  The triangles are resized and repeated, and filled in with more footprints to create the "shading".  His designs can take up to 12 hours to complete, and he can walk as much as 25 miles to make one drawing.  Pretty amazing application for Geometry!

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

I Am For An Art

Over 50 years ago, Claes Oldenburg first composed his "I Am For An Art..." statements. You can read more about that here

I used to compose haiku as I was trying to drift off to sleep--something to distract my mind from all of the stresses of the day, and to take my mind off of the endless "To Dos". Now, I have been finding myself composing "I am for an Art" statements instead. They are quirky and fun, and a great way to engage my mind to get to sleep. Here are a few of mine. Please share some of your own in the comments!

I am for an art exploding with color like a rainbow on acid.
I am for an art that sticks with you like a piece of popcorn stuck in your teeth.
I am for an art that washes over you like a tsunami.
I am for an art that breaks through the clouds like the sun on a rainy day.
I am for an art that holds you with suspense and curiosity like a train wreck.
I am for an art that brings a breath of fresh air, like the scent of Glade in a stinky bathroom.
I am for an art that satisfies like a good scratch behind a cat's ear.
I am for an art that is as crazy as a lunatic who escapes from a mental asylum.