No Quarter / No Blame

Here is a new proportional poem inspired by my wife's description of clouds. The piece is titled: No Quarter / No Blame

Time

Here is a new proportional poem that struck me while pondering time. In the vernacular it says Time is to Music as a Rollercoaster is to Space. OR Time is to a Rollercoaster as Music is to Space.  Yet I have to say I really like the sound of it just as it is on this screen. Time equals a Rollercoaster times Music all divided by Space.

Homage to Bob by Karl Kempton

Rest In Peace - Bob Grumman 02-02-1941 / 04-03-2015

Bob Grumman on the right me on the left - @ Museum Of Modern Art - New York City - July 2010

 It is with deep sadness that I must report the passing of Bob Grumman. The world of mathematical poetry just got lonelier. I remember in the mid 1990’s getting an email from Bob expressing how happy he was to have found me, another mathematical poet who shared a similar vision to his. Furthermore I was happy to have learned of his existence as well. Until then I had thought that I was the only one doing it. I was happy to find out that others had some interest in it as well. First of all I have to say that other than myself, there is no other mathematical poet in the English language that has had as much passion for our brand of mathematical poetry. – Yes there have been others who dabbled here and there and made a handful of math poems – and I must mention Karl Kempton and Scott Helmes who have made serious contributions to mathematical visual poetry, but only Bob and I consistently expressed a passion for using mathematical equations as a structure for poetic expression. Bob seemed to be entertained by arguing with people about the validity of mathematical poetry BEING poetry. Personally, I have tried to avoid that particular argument and have been happy believing that mathematical poetry is its own genre and needs not to be called poetry. Yet it really makes no difference to me. I must also mention that while Bob and I both took ownership in this form of expression, we had many differences of opinion … sometimes our differences were painful and I felt as though I was stuck in the land of mathematical poetry (a deserted island) with a hard headed competitively driven egomaniac. It is true that in the past I have felt this way. - But now that the reality has hit that he is gone, I feel alone on this Island – and it saddens me. The worst part for the muse of mathematical poetry is that neither of us has inspired anyone else to do it. She had better find another one to do it - obviously neither Bob nor I have done a good job in spreading the word. (not that we haven’t tried) – It’s been over 200 years since the first mathematical poem that I know of was published and the genre lay dormant for all those years until the 1970’s before it sprouted up again. Bob has been integral in trying to keep mathematical poetry alive in this incarnation. He will truly be missed.

 Kaz Maslanka 04-03-2015

The Purpose of Art

This may very well be the most important thing I have done and probably the least visible.

Koons

Here is a proportional poem by Kaz Maslanka pointing to the current state of affairs in the artworld.

Meaningless Art Is Meaningless

The Definitely Indefinite Future - byConnie Tettenborn

Here is a new one by Connie Tettenborn

Addition

Here is a proportional poem by Kaz Maslanka that points to the mechanics of commerce.

How Algorithms Shape Our World

Here is an interesting talk on the language of math getting out of control and having a mind of its own:

Well kind of having a mind of its own ;)

Singularity at Vulture Peak

This Similar Triangles Poem titled "Singularity at Vulture Peak"is a refinement from an earlier piece and is much more direct with what I want to express.  -Kaz

One vernacular translation for this mathematical expression is, "Enigma is to a flower dream as the truth is to the experience of a flower."

One may want to Google "Vulture Peak" to see what many say is the first transmission Zen from the Buddha.

Friend by Anand Bora

Here is a new work by Anand Bora

Two works by Sulaiman Mackay

Here are two mathematical poems by Sulaiman Mackay:

Bridges Seoul - David Chappell and Intrinsic Coordinates

I was honored to be included in the Show at Bridges Seoul in September. Below is an image of the work I had in the show.

In addition, I would like to share the following link that is an collection of all of the mathematical-art expressions from that show.

One of my favorite pieces was the work of David Chappell. What I enjoy the most about his work is the complexity that he achieves with such simple equations. In addition I find intrinsic coordinate systems fascinating.

La Logic Assassine by Adon Lacroix

Here is a visual poem with the intention of being a anti mathematical poem.

Design and type-set by man ray for the poem “La Logic Assassine” by Adon Lacroix, 1919

"ONE" acquired by the Gwacheon National Science Museum (국립과천과학관)

I am pleased to mention that my mathematical visual poem "ONE" was recently acquired by the Gwacheon National Science Museum (국립과천과학관) in South Korea.

Karl Kempton - Meditation Formula

Here is something recent from Karl Kempton.

Disappointment - by Anonymous Poet

I found this orthogonal space poem at the following link. I have no idea who created it however, it follows the rules of an orthogonal space poem perfectly. It is also interesting to note that it was found on a Buddhist website ... Hmmm - even more interesting to me.

Hwadu

Here is an 'Similar Triangles Poem" by Kaz Maslanka titled "Hwadu" --- in the vernacular it says that "Enigmas are to Ontology as The Song of Ancient Dreams are to the Sound of the Ocean" - Or a different syntax would be, "Enigmas are to the Song of Ancient Dreams as Ontology is to the Sound of the Ocean."

Kuniharu Shimizu

Here is a nice mathematical visual poem (Haiga) by Kuniharu Shimizu Brought to our attention by Karl Kempton through George Swede

I really like this piece - It reminds me of my struggles with depression, anxiety and suicide.  --- and the answer!

Substituting Proust

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Every reader finds himself. The mathematical poets work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this poem, he would perhaps never have seen in himself. -Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922) 
-----------------------------------------
 I substituted the words "mathematical poet's" for the original word "writer's", furthermore, I substituted the word "poem" for the word "book" Kaz

Kazimir Malevich - The Suprematist Mirror

Thanks to Karl Kempton for bringing this to our attention:
Kazimir Malevich - The Suprematist Mirror

Marius de Zayas & the Stieglitz Circle

Very interesting early work - I wish I had more precise information on what the variables represent.

These are very interesting links sent to me by Karl Kempton.

Link to information

and more:

PolyAesthetic Mapping the Muses

Here is the image I used in the PAMM show at the Oceanside Museum of Art. The show will run until August 2, 2014

Our group is called PolyAesthetic Mapping the Muses - is part of a larger group show called the DNA of Creativity which was sponsored by the San Diego Visual Arts Network.

An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy

There is a Spanish Proverb that says: "An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy" Here is the mathematical version of that expression.

April Should Be Mathematical Poetry Month

Future Tense at Slate just published an article (click here) with a argument that April should be "Mathematical Poetry Month" They used my poem "Sacrifice and Bliss".
Hey I think its a great idea :)

Multiply or Add?

I snagged this off of the incomparable Anu Garg. Most of  the expressions that I see in this list are additions - Can you find an example here of a multiplication of concepts?  Do you know the difference between addition and multiplication in mathematical poetry? There could be many ways to approach this idea here is one way to approach it: Click Here 

Bridges 2013 Video with George Hart

Here is a link to a nice video from George
Hart on the Bridges show last summer in Enschede, the Netherlands. This may be the largest Mathart show that has ever been curated.

Robert Bosch - The Serenity Machine

One of my wishes for mathematical art is that it somehow ties to culture and has a strong sensory presence. I think Robert Bosch's serenity machines are a good example of contemporary art with a foot deep in Zen. This pieces are mazes with no end and no goal. You turn the knobs to move a small steel ball around the maze.

Christmas Poem from John Chalmers

Here is a Christmas math poem submitted by John Chalmers. 

Bob Grumman's Christmas Poem

This is an old math poem by Bob Grumman but I really like it. So I would like to post it again. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Math Humor

I don't know who did this but it was given to me by John Chalmers. - If this is your image please let me know so I can credit you. 

Briges 2013 Mathematical Poetry Anthology

The Briges 2013 Mathematical Poetry Anthology, edited by Sarah Glaz, is out and can be purchased at Amazon at this link.

Sarah has compile a few more interesting links for Mathematical Poetry on her homepage as well as a page dedicated to this anthology.  To see that page please follow this link.

Bridges Enschede 2013

I am grateful to have been a part of the Bridges Show in the Netherlands last month  My piece Sunset Sutra can be seen in the photo if you have keen eyes. 

Here is a link to all the wonderful pieces in the show. 

A Quote From Mool Kae On The Nature Of Descriptions.

Descriptions always describe something else.

Quote From Mool Kae On What Is Real.

Karl Kempton's Sun Plus Moon

Another example of Karl Kempton's Visual Poetry 

10,000 Dharmas Return to the ...

For those who are not familiar with the Chinese character - it is "Buddha's mind"

Anything divided by itself is one.

Added October 22, 2019 - Please See: CLICK-THIS 

New From Karl Kempton

This is a new little diddy from Karl Kempton. I am not sure if he had a title for it but if I could title this piece, I would title it: "I don't trust language"

Angel House Press - National Poetry Month (March)

I am happy to announce that one of my mathematical poems was selected for National Poetry Month at the Angel House Press. It will be up until March of 2014 -- You can see it at this link

Sunset Sutra

Much of my recent work is inspired by my studies and practice of Korean Zen. Living in the present moment takes practice and the sunset is a perfect tool to notice the power of the present moment - for if not living in the moment you will miss the sunset. The most spectacular sunset that I have ever seen was from the window of an airplane. This photographic image was shot during that sunset. The mathematical poem is in the form of what I call an ‘orthogonal space’ poem - which is always in the form of a = bc (or its syntactical equivalent e.g. b = a/c or c = a/b ). One may notice that the sunset is not as important when the time approaches zero and the phenomena of Dharma approaches infinity. One aesthetic process that excites me most comes from pondering how math functions within the mind and its particular relationship to the spectrum of all mental phenomena. I see math illuminating the logical structure of the mind and poetic metaphor being a wind blowing through that structure.

Units And Their Importance Within Mathematical Poetry

When looking at mathematical poetry one must realize that the variables are such that they provide a connotative type of mathematical unit. While in a physics problem you have units defined – they may not be as clear in a mathematical poem yet they are there if the poem is sensible. You must look at the variables the same as you would for any equation where they (the variables) perform a place for value and unit. In mathematical poetry it is important to think of the terms in the equations as a signifier to the unit.

For instance in the "Orthogonal Space Poem" equation Lucidity = confidence divided by ego we have the sense that the units for Lucidity are defined by the units of 'confidence per units of ego', even though those units in the terms have not been scientifically defined. The poem itself defines them defacto. So units play an important part while reading mathematical poetry. And units can change the meaning of things as we can see by the essay below:


 To show how important units are in our communication concerning statistics please read the following (which is an excerpt from Delancyplace.) In today's selection - people often mistrust statistics under the presumption that statistics can easily be manipulated. And they can. Particularly for those uncomfortable with numbers or unwilling to dig into the issue. (Samuel Clemens is often noted for having said "lies, damned lies, and statistics," which he in turn attributed to British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli). One form of manipulation is changing the unit of analysis, as in the two examples below: "Is globalization making income inequality around the planet better or worse? By one interpretation, globalization has merely exacerbated existing income inequalities; richer countries in 1980 (as measured by GDP per capita) tended to grow faster between 1980 and 2000 than poorer countries. The rich countries just got richer, suggesting that trade, outsourcing, foreign investment, and the other components of 'globalization' are merely tools for the developed world to extend its economic hegemony. Down with globalization! Down with globalization! "But hold on a moment. The same data can (and should) be inter¬preted entirely differently if one changes the unit of analysis. We don't care about poor countries; we care about poor people. And a high proportion of the world's poor people happen to live in China and India. Both coun¬tries are huge (with a population over a billion); each was relatively poor in 1980. Not only have China and India grown rapidly over the past sev¬eral decades, but they have done so in large part because of their increased economic integration with the rest of the world. They are 'rapid global¬izers,' as the Economist has described them. Given that our goal is to ameliorate human misery, it makes no sense to give China (population 1.3 billion) the same weight as Mauritius (population 1.3 million) when examining the effects of globalization on the poor. The unit of analysis should be people, not countries. What really happened between 1980 and 2000 is [that] ... the bulk of the world's poor happened to live in two giant countries that grew extremely fast as they became more integrated into the global economy. The proper analysis yields an entirely different conclusion about the benefits of globalization for the world's poor. As the Economist points out, 'If you consider people, not countries, global inequality is falling rapidly.' "The telecommunications companies AT&T and Verizon have recently engaged in an advertising battle that exploits this kind of ambiguity about what is being described. Both companies provide cellular phone service. One of the primary concerns of most cell phone users is the quality of the service in places where they are likely to make or receive phone calls. Thus, a logical point of comparison between the two firms is the size and quality of their networks. While consumers just want decent cell phone service in lots of places, both AT&T and Verizon have come up with different metrics for measuring the somewhat amor¬phous demand for 'decent cell phone service in lots of places.' Verizon launched an aggressive advertising campaign touting the geographic cov¬erage of its network; you may remember the maps of the United States that showed the large percentage of the country covered by the Verizon network compared with the relatively paltry geographic coverage of the AT&T network. The unit of analysis chosen by Verizon is geographic area covered -- because the company has more of it. "AT&T countered by launching a campaign that changed the unit of analysis. Its billboards advertised that 'AT&T covers 97 percent of Americans.' Note the use of the word 'Americans' rather than 'America.' AT&T focused on the fact that most people don't live in rural Montana or the Arizona desert. Since the population is not evenly distributed across the physical geography of the United States, the key to good cell service (the campaign argued implicitly) is having a network in place where callers actually live and work, not necessarily where they go camp¬ing. As someone who spends a fair bit of time in rural New Hampshire, however, my sympathies are with Verizon on this one."

Author: Charles Wheelan Title: Naked Statistics Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Date: Copyright 2013 by Charles Wheelan Pages: 41-42 Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data by Charles Wheelan by W. W. Norton & Company

Two New Books

I am happy to announce that I was a part of a couple of new books that was published last summer.

My work finds itself in the intersection of many aesthetics and this is evident by looking at the content of both of these two books.  The first book mentioned specializes in the area where mathematics meets visual art. From my point of view it focuses primarily on the aesthetics of thinking but also approaches the aesthetics of direct sensory experience.  Most of the work.

in this book is done by people trained in mathematics who have a passion for making it visual. The difficult aspect of this genre is that you must have a bit of a math background.  The more background you have the more you will appreciate.

"Experience-centered Approach and Visuality in The Education of Mathematics and Physics."  ISBN 978-963-9821-52-1

Co-Authored by Javier Barrallo, Mateja Budin, Anthony Durity, Fenyvesi Kristof, Slavik Jablan, Klingne Takacs Anna, Ljiljana Radovic, Radmila Sazdanovic  and Stettner Eleonora  

The second book shown here Edited by Nico Vassilakis and Crag Hill is titled “The Last Vispo” an anthology of visual poetry spanning 20 years from 1998 to 2008.   ISBN-13: 978-1-60699-626-3

The primary focus on this book is a confluence of poetics with visual art (Visual Poetry / Concrete Poetry).  Lots of interesting essays as well as a lot of good vispo.