Fourfield: Computers, Art & the 4th Dimension

Rating:
Summary: Shadows of the Fourth Dimension
Review: Fourfield features art by Tony Robbin and much discussion of the theoretical basis behind his art. The introduction is by cyberpunk author Rudy Rucker who just eats up that four dimensional stuff. Robbin seeks to give glimpses of the fourth spatial dimension through his art. The theory behind the art is that there are four spatial dimensions. We don't have muscles that allow us to move in the fourth dimension and we are basically flat in the fourth dimension. But we can interact with it in our minds.

Think of it this way: creatures that exist in only two dimensions (and a tiny bit of third dimension - like a sheet of paper) would have a similar problem grasping the idea of a third dimension. However a three dimensional object could pass through their world and by examining various cross sections of it they could form a mental picture of that object. For example a sphere would look like a circle but its width would vary.

So Robbin sculpts three dimensional "cross sections" of four dimensional objects. Likewise he paints pictures based on the shadows that these objects might cast. Naturally the art appears abstract to us, but really is representational of something that we can't see with our eyes. The two dimensional paintings tend to show a pattern that varies as you go along. There are also computer generated shadows of the hyper cube - a four dimensional cube. (Similar programs are usually available for download - so do an internet search if you want to try this out.) I went through the pics and tried to visuallize four dimensions which is a good way to get weird fast.

Anyone into more theoretical aspects of math should get a kick out of this book. Libraries with heavy math or art interest should consider archiving a copy.