In a conversation about formalism in art, mathematician Marcus du Sautoy argues that beauty can be explained through its formal elements, challenging the idea that aesthetics are purely subjective. He emphasizes that understanding these components enhances the appreciation of phenomena, equating the universe with a physical embodiment of mathematics. Du Sautoy's belief in Platonism suggests that underlying mathematical structures exist independently, providing a framework for understanding why we perceive beauty in various forms, from music to visual arts.
Some people will hate what I say, because it's all about unweaving the rainbow. Some people want to retain the magic and don't want to know why something's working.
Formalism unweaves the rainbow by telling you exactly why you find something beautiful. It accounts for aesthetic judgments in non-aesthetic terms.
I'm very much a Platonist at heart. I believe that there are these structures to nature that do not need a moment of creation.
Our Universe around us is a physical piece of mathematics. That's why we see so many of the structures that we recognize, bubbling under the natural world.
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