Professor Thomas Banchoff of Brown University will speak on "The Four-Dimensional Geometry and Theology of Salvador Dali" on February 25, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. in the McElroy Conference Room.
Professor Banchoff is a distinguished mathematician and math educator whose interests range from differential geometry in three and four dimensions to computer graphics to the use of technology in education. He is a member of the Clavius Group, a society of Catholic mathematicians.
Abstract: Throughout his career, Salvador Dali was fascinated by mathematics and science, and he incorporated many geometric ideas and symbols into his paintings, especially his religious paintings. Where did he get his ideas and how did he carry them out? This presentation will feature images and stories from ten years of conversations with Dali, about the Fourth Dimension, impossible perspectives, catastrophe theory, art history and medieval philosophy. The talk will be illustrated by computer-generated images and animations, and is intended for a broad audience.