Syncopation

Back in the early 1980's, inspired by the percussionist Bill Bruford, I wrote a math equation mapping the levels of power in syncopation. I have misplaced the equation but I do remember the resulting epiphany for me:

 Anticipation and surprise are the active ingredients in syncopation. (Thesis / Antithesis)

Nu Math by Karl Kempton

Towson Math Art Exibition

I am happy to be a part of this show at Towson University:

In the show is my Piece "Newton's Third Law In Karmic Warfare"

Newton's Third Law In Karmic Warfare

Detail of text

Detail part of mirror

Detail of eyes

We have all heard that what goes around comes around. In essence this is the contemporary western view of Karma. Yet, Karma has a long history in the east predicting that ones future events are influenced by one’s past events.

 Newtons third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. ——— see any similarities? ——— The visual expression (above) titled “Newton’s third law in Karmic warfare” maps a karmic event into equal and opposite forces.

 

Here is a video lecture LINK that gives one all the tools to experience this poem.

 The following LINK will take you to my paper on paradigm poems that will go into more detail of this piece. Here is an excerpt from the paper that discusses this piece:


Newton’s Third Law in Karmic Warfare 

In the poem “Newtons Third Law In Karmic Warfare” (Fig. 1,2) we map two dynamic forces against each other that always remain equal. Karma is a spiritual phenomena that states that the current and future situation of a person is influenced by their actions of the past. So we are reminded of the vernacular version of Karma in the sense that “what goes around comes around”. I see Karma as the same archetypical concept as the conservation of momentum and energy. So in my expression we map the mass of the forces as egos. When we map our ego across the idea of mass we may get an idea of something that has inertia when moving or an entity that carries weight in certain situations. Some people are thought to have ‘massive egos’. We are also mapping the idea of acceleration across the idea removing or taking life — I am reminded that if I don't take care of my health I accelerate my own death. So acceleration is moving something through space and time. In physics it is a physical object however, in poetics It can be any object that makes sense to us. In this case we are objectifying life. So can I accelerate death in my enemies? What would be the mechanics of doing this? So can I view life as an object moving through time? These are questions that I would hope someone would ask themselves when looking at this poem. When looking at the visual metaphors in this piece one must notice that I am borrowing a mythological expression from Korean culture called a Karma Mirror. The creature stands upon a world of hellish judgment where we find upon its back a mirror that reflects our Karma back at us so that we may see it. I would hope you would ask what Kind of Karma has been created by the creation of nuclear weapons?

 Mappings 

 The following section of this paper is a list of metaphorical mappings that I have perceived by analyzing the aesthetic work titled “Newton’s Third Law in Karmic Warfare” (Figs. 1,2) The metaphor mapping nomenclature of Lakoff and Nunez are used for this list.

 Metaphoric expression from Physics: The Equation from Physics that describes equivalent forces IS Observations of equivalent forces 

Poetic Metaphorical expressions: Mirror IS Conservation of Momentum and Energy; Mirror IS Equivalence; Karma IS Equivalence; Karma IS Mirror

 Mathematical Poetic metaphorical expresssions M1 or Mass (subscript 1) IS The Level Of My Self Righteousness; △v1 or The change in velocity (subscript 1) IS Me Taking Life From You; △t1 or The change in time (subscript 1) IS The Time It Takes For Me To Kill You; M2 or Mass (subscript 2) IS The Level Of Your Self Righteousness; △v2 or The change in velocity (subscript 2) IS Me Taking Life From You; △t2 or The change in time (subscript 2) IS The Time It Takes For You To Kill Me;

 Visual (image) Metaphors: Nuclear Proliferation IS Karmic Force; Karma IS Hell; Korean Karma Mirror IS a vehicle

Winning

Here is a Orthogonal Space Poem titled "Winning"

Thought For The Day

Science is the door on the perimeter of knowledge and wisdom is the wind that blows through that door. 

El Konde Kazimero

"Radius of Compassion" - A Sphere Poem

The sphere poem is where metaphorical content is mapped into an equation that describes aspect of a sphere.  The next image shows the equation for calculating the volume of a sphere. 

The sphere poem shown below titled "Radius of Compassion" utilizes the equation that describes the volume of a sphere.  Now the question posed to you is who in the world is described by this expression?

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.