Spiral Dynamics
Spiral Dynamics Mark Alexander Hanf 2008 Acrylic on Wood (36" x 36")
The invention of x-ray photography has allowed us to explore the inner structure of our bodies and the world around us in a way that transcends our limited senses. When this technology is used to study the architecture of seashells, a beautiful growth pattern emerges. The spiral, or vortex, is one of the patterns that life energy flows in naturally. Weather systems, water, seed heads, galaxies, and seashells are a few examples of this archetypal form. Another manifestation of this pattern is an ancient mathematical concept called the “golden spiral”. Mathematicians have been fascinated by this “golden ratio” for millennia due to its ubiquity in both the ideal geometric forms and the organic natural world. This proportion has been employed throughout history to instill beauty and harmony into many of the world’s masterpieces of art and architecture. Leonardo DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man is a famous example showing that the anatomy of human beings grows in the golden ratio. In Spiral Dynamics, it becomes evident that the anatomy of marine life also grows in these geometric proportions. Notice how the oval shape of the shell is created by the interconnection of two golden spirals and how the curves of the two spirals create the subtle internal architecture of the shell. The combination of the modern x-ray photography and the ancient geometric blueprint makes the invisible visible and points to the profound and beautiful interconnection of creation. |
