Re: Garden Design
- To: j*@earthlink.net, m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: Garden Design
- From: J* M*
- Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 22:34:38 -0800
Jan,
It is a shame that your interest in the Golden Mean (Golden Triangle, Golden
Rectangle, Golden Section, Golden Spiral--it has many names and many
manifestations). It is the same ratio that determines the spiral
arrangement of the petals of a rose and the leaves of aloes, agaves, and
echeverias. It is everywhere in nature--this Fibonacci series that that is
expressed in a series of numbers in which each number in the sequence is the
sum of the previous two: 1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55, ...
You can learn a great deal about its many guises from the following website:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005449/home.html
Do we still care? I'm afraid that very few of us today are philosophical
enough to think there exist cosmically-determined perfect proportions as the
ancient Greeks and Romans did (after all, the Renaissance was a rebirth of
this ancient learning). Most designers today would consider using a formal
ratio too deterministic and to limiting of their creativity, but in art
courses I have taken and taught I have analyzed many compositions of modern
architecture, painting, photography, and even landscape architecture and you
might be surprised how often these proportions show up, even in the works of
artists who wouldn't consider consciously employing them in their designs.
John MacGregor
jonivy@earthlink.net
----------
>From: Jan Smithen <jansmithen@earthlink.net>
>To: MeditPlants <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
>Subject: Garden Design
>Date: Thu, Nov 30, 2000, 12:43 PM
>
>
> I am curious. In researching for a talk on Renaissance Gardens, I
> discovered the importance these people placed, on what they felt were
> sacred proportions. Not only were the perfect square and circle
> considered a sign of "heaven brought to earth", but also a certain
> proportion which was called "The Golden Rectangle".
>
> The Golden Rectangle was achieved by using the relationship of the
> Golden Mean; 1 to 1.6180....., an irrational number represented by the
> Greek letter, phi. My son (the mathematician) tried to explain all this
> to me, but I am not interested, except in how it was used in garden
> design.
>
> This is the rectangular proportion you see superimposed on a
> spread-eagle human body on tee-shirts and posters. Apparently it has
> been used in art and architecture since the Parthenon. Called the
> "Principle of Dynamic Symmetry", this relationship has been used and
> revered by man throughout the history of western culture, in cathedral
> architecture,in art, from da Vinci to George Seurat.
>
> I have read that many of the great Renaissance gardens were designed
> using this proportion, noteably the great Villa Lante at Bagnia,
> Italy.(Help me Alessandra!) So, my question to you landscape architects
> and garden designers: Do you think man still derives serenity and
> contentment from this proportion?, Is it taught today? Do you use it in
> your work? Do you care?
>
> Jan
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Jan Smithen,
> Upland, California
>
> jansmithen@earthlink.net
> Sunset zone : 19
> USDA zone : 10
>
> http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/
>
> Visit the Los Angeles County Arboretum
> Victorian Rose Garden website at:
> http://victorian-rose.org/
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
