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Diagrams of Geometry 3: The shape of numbers and the problem with Mathematics.
Can a diagram lie? This post explores math's love/hate relationship with the image, from puzzles that deceive the eye to the formalist banishment of drawings from proofs. Discover how Surrealist artists like Man Ray found poetry in the very models that the mathematicians had left behind.
jmfwhittle
Oct 17, 20177 min read


The Taxonomy of Neurosis: Yves Netzhammer
Swiss artist Yves Netzhammer creates a universe of "Concave Thoughts." Using the cold, precise language of computer-generated diagrams, he explores the messy inner world of human emotion, creating an empathic link with the viewer through the archetypal gestures of his featureless, mannequin-like figures.
jmfwhittle
Dec 11, 20165 min read


Diagrams of Geometry Part 2: A Soggy Book of Diagrams as a Wedding Present from Marcel Duchamp
Can you measure with a curved ruler? What happens when a geometry textbook is left out in the rain? This post delves into Marcel Duchamp's 'pataphysical' experiments, where he used chance, chaos, and conceptual instructions to create a witty and profound critique of scientific certainty.
jmfwhittle
Oct 20, 20168 min read


Diagrams of Geometry - Part 1: Sol LeWitt and the Austere Poetics of Geometry
Sol LeWitt famously said, "The idea becomes a machine that makes the art." This post explores the core of his conceptual practice, from his iconic wall drawings to his Location series, where absurdly complex sentences are used to describe simple shapes, revealing the paradox of his "Romantic-Objective" approach.
jmfwhittle
Sep 1, 20166 min read


Diagrams in Literature: labyrinthine plots, obscure connections and the intricate inner working of a sentence.
From Laurence Sterne diagramming his own plot in the 18th century to Kurt Vonnegut graphing the "shape" of Cinderella, the diagram has long been a secret key to understanding literature. We explore how maps, charts, and sentence diagrams reveal the hidden architecture of the world's most complex stories.
jmfwhittle
Jun 21, 20168 min read


Diagrams from the dark ages: glimpses in to the workings of the medieval mind.
From mapping the soul to regulating marriage, the medieval diagram was an essential tool for thought. This post explores the incredible variety of these visual systems—from the Zodiac Man to the Guidonian Hand—before a deep dive into the strange and beautiful work of Opicinus de Canistris, a cleric whose visionary drawings combined scientific maps with divine revelations.
jmfwhittle
Jun 10, 20168 min read


Portrait of the artist as a̶ y̶o̶u̶n̶g̶ m̶a̶n̶ / a̶ y̶o̶u̶n̶g̶ d̶o̶g̶ / a building...
Since 1986, artist Mark Manders has been creating a 'self-portrait as a building,' treating his entire body of work as a single, evolving architectural space. We explore how he uses the diagram as a tool to organize his thoughts, creating laboratory-like sculptures that blend subjective poetry with objective science.
jmfwhittle
Apr 13, 20164 min read
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