Logic & Design in Art, Science, and Mathematics [Paperback]

Krome Barratt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1993

A thought-provoking classic examining key design principles.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Design is fundamental to our lives, for it is really about the making of things, which is the business of artists, scientists and technologists alike. All are concerned with innovation and problem solving and can profit from a study of ideas developed in other disciplines.This book, therefore, examines some of the key principles of design and shows how these also underlie much of what we know of art, mathematics and science. It covers such topics as number, ratio and scale, rhythm and harmony, similarity and contrast, and suggests how these may relate to the total design problem.As visual imagery is an important aspect of design, graphics form a vital part of the book. Each pair of pages can be seen as an event with illustrations and captions complementing the text - often in unusual combinations. For the aim is to provoke questions about meaning, purpose and method in design - to open the doors and windows of the mind. (71/4 X 91/4, 336 pages, illustrations, charts)

About the Author

The late Krome Barratt taught in the Department of Environmental Design at the Polytechnic of North London. A painter whose work was exhibited in his native Britain and in the United States, he served as president of the National Society of Painter, Sculptors, and Printmakers, and president of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Green Editorial; 1st edition (May 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155821268X
• ISBN-13: 978-1558212688
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,568,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Harmonics Of Engineering And Art Meld Geometrically, October 8, 2001

By 

Rahman (CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logic & Design in Art, Science, and Mathematics (Paperback)

There are underlying patterns connecting mathematics and art, engineering and design, logic and emotions. The geometric representations of music and their influence upon such myriad topics as architecture, economics, and the functionality of the human body are some of the more vivid examples of this connectivity.

This work takes an engineering vantage point to these possibilities, and provides the reader with a remarkable array of hand-drawn illustrations, precise geometric diagrams, and basic mathematical equations, in an effort to inspire and to remind how extremes are connected by a nexus of subtle patterns and profound relationships. Expect to be reminded of high school trigonometry and algebraic equations if you have not delved into these topics for some time, yet the perspective now is one of delectable artistic and harmonic profundities.

Traditionally Eastern and Western philosophies, seemingly irreconcilable at cultural levels, are found to be interconnected and even ultimately identical through these fundamental patterns. No category or endeavor of human learning and understanding is left untouched, and over numerous readings you may find more connections between electron spin, ocean waves, the musical scale, the female figure, and magic squares, which Benjamin Franklin occasionally kept himself occupied with, than you ever thought possible. Far from requiring leaps of faith, the explicit logic and mathematical foundation keeps the incredible diversity and abstraction replete within this excellent work firmly grounded.

Other works which take this approach include Connections by Jay Kappraff, and Sacred Geometry by Robert Lawlor. Works by and about Buckminster Fuller will provide context and further information as well. Your view of mathematics, engineering, and formal logic may be forever and most pleasantly altered.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you could only read 10 books in your life..., May 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Logic & Design in Art, Science, and Mathematics (Paperback)

Every once in a long while you find a book so packed with ideas and meaning that you can turn to any page and learn something that shifts your understanding of life. Like scripture. This is one of those books, unraveling many of the threads that wind between art and science and experience. It's as full as Fuller's Synergetics, but you don't have to learn esoteric mathemetics to grasp it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you care about you're design career, you'll read this., May 15, 2000

By 

John Lenker - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logic & Design in Art, Science, and Mathematics (Paperback)

Mr. Barratt, if he were still alive, should have been knighted for
writing this book. His insight is a spring-board for so many other
thoughts. As the Amazon reviewer said, I also consider this work to be
something like scripture. It doesn't matter if you are a
mathematician, a musician or a web designer, this book will remind you
why you got into your field in the first place. It will also lead you
to higher ground.