Helaman Ferguson: Mathematics in Stone and Bronze

This luscious book amply attests to the affinity between art and mathematics, and does so in an unusual and striking way. Bertrand Russel once wrote: "Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty---a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture." Russell's beauty is that of intangibles, as when mathematicians speak of an elegant proof, a beautiful theory. Ferguson imbues mathematics with another kind of beauty, accessible to everyone.Ferguson's sculptures are attractive both in their shape and in their materials. This lavishly illustrated book exhibits them to advantage. The artist's comments on each piece, at the end of the book, are quite valuable; in spite of the mathematical nature of some of them, they convey a sense of personal intimacy.

A reality check for those of us who were brought up to think that mathematics is dry and esoteric.