Once humans gained consciousness, they began questioning their place, possibilities, capabilities, and potential. This curiosity has transformed humans into beings who think, question, and solve problems.
In the dark ages, humans, like other creatures in nature, were nomadic hunters. However, one of their greatest differences lay in their ability to immortalize acquired knowledge and experiences in the space-time continuum. They achieved this by drawing and thereby passing on knowledge to the next generation. After transitioning to a settled lifestyle, for the first time, humans owned more than they could carry, which created the need for record-keeping. This need facilitated the invention of writing, turning the transmission of knowledge into a conscious process of development.
In art and science, humanity has largely relied on this method of transmission. All scientists and artists have worked to add their own "brick" to this repository of knowledge within the short span of a human life. Science and art are like a network shared by all and developed across generations.
As we approach modern times, humans strive to understand and rationalize everything around them. With the expanded possibilities offered by technology, humanity can now interpret things from a broader perspective. In this era, science has realized that nature itself holds a specific sequence of numbers: the "Golden Ratio."
The Golden Ratio is described as a special ratio found in the structure and form of numerous living and non-living entities in nature. Another description refers to it as a proportion utilized in architecture by the Egyptians and Greeks, applied to structures in nature and observed for centuries in the fields of architecture and art. It is regarded as a mathematical and geometric proportion that offers the most aesthetically pleasing dimensions. This ratio, seen prominently in countless examples in nature, can be found in many forms, such as the human body, sea turtles, and plants. Additionally, it appears to underlie the foundational structure of the cosmos. Plato regarded this ratio as a key to cosmic physics.
In another view, the Golden Ratio (Φ) explains the most aesthetic and pleasing way to proportion the width to the height of a rectangle. Like the irrational number π (pi), the Golden Ratio is also irrational and is written as 1.6180339887498... This ratio exists not only in nature but also in human imagination and expectations. Essentially, it lies at the core of human aesthetics and beauty. Beauty is a characteristic of a being, a concrete object, or an abstract concept that evokes a perceptual pleasure or sense of satisfaction.
Beauty is examined as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture. Discussions about what is beautiful and the value and judgment of beauty have always been central in the history of philosophy. In this context, just as almost every philosophical tendency has sections on epistemology, logic, and ethics, it can also be said that they generally have an explicit or implicit section on aesthetics.
Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy that deals with art, beauty, and taste. It focuses on the creation and evaluation of beauty. Often referred to as the judgment of sensory-emotional values, aesthetics is closely related to the philosophy of art. In its broadest sense, it is a critical study of art, culture, and nature.
The aesthetic allure of the Golden Ratio has been the subject of much research. Although many artworks feature rectangular elements close to the Golden Ratio, there is little evidence that artists consciously used this ratio in their designs. It is more likely that rectangular elements with aspect ratios close to the Golden Ratio provide a pleasing proportion. In some cases, artists have used elements with pentagonal symmetry in their works (e.g., Dunlap 1992). There is a close relationship between the Golden Ratio and pentagonal symmetry, and in such cases, the importance of the Golden Ratio in art is likely more significant, albeit indirect.
It is clear that the Golden Ratio is present and widely utilized in human consciousness and surroundings. It also forms the foundation of the accepted physics of at least the portion of the universe we are aware of.
Although we know of this number, which exists in human imagination and physical nature, we have not fully deciphered its function. However, recent developments in postmodern thought and further progressive, affirming postmodern perspectives are increasingly influencing human consciousness. This approach aims to generate ideas and strive for betterment by using acquired experiences rather than disregarding what we have.
Therefore, just as in human history and science, sudden, radically different views or artworks cannot emerge in art. There must be something that has been influenced by and can be developed further. Artists attempt to place their own brick by building upon the foundation laid by their predecessors, filtering it through their unique perspectives.
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