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New Angles on Art

About This Lesson

Do art and math have anything in common? How do artists and architects use math to create their works? In New Angles on Art, students will explore the intersection of math and art in the works of three contemporary artists. The online lessons focus on two artists and one architect for whom mathematical concepts and geometric forms were fundamental.

  • Sol LeWitt used lines, geometric solids, and permutations to create his structures and wall paintings.
  • Tony Smith's sculptures are based on regular and irregular polyhedra.
  • I. M. Pei faced a geometry problem when he started designing the National Gallery of Art East Building. Its solution affected every aspect of his design.

Students will discover these artists and their works, practice math skills, and make art. The interactive lessons focus on the math—lines, angles, two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional polyhedra, fractions, ratios, and permutations—found in sculptures in the National Gallery Sculpture Garden and in the architecture of the East Building.

Each lesson includes:

  • a lesson plan: an overview with lesson objectives, an implementation plan, assessment guidelines, and classroom discussion questions
  • student activities: interactive lessons with math and art making challenges
  • pertinent national math and visual arts standards
  • a brief biography of the artist
  • an illustrated glossary of art and math terms
  • online and print resources for extended explorations

The lessons may be done independently or together, depending on classroom focus and time constraints.