Divine Golden Ingenious

de Lieselotte Kugler, Wolfgang Beinert

"The history of the golden mean begins with Euclid in the 3rd century BC. But it was only in the 19th century that it was raised to the universal constant of beauty. From this point onwards the “golden section” was described in flora and fauna; the famous Fibonacci number. It determines the growth of the pineapple; and Le Corbusier optimised architecture by means of the Modulor. But does this art-historical phenomenon really play a universal role in the organisation of our world? Authors from all fields analyse the Golden Mean with regard to function, demonstrability and relevance, also by means of current examples from art and design as well as in comparison with the DIN and the tatami measurement."-- "What do the shells of nautilus snails, pineapples, Marilyn Monroe’s face, and an Aston Martin all have in common? Is it the same mystic, divine formula that lies behind everything that is beautiful? For centuries this formula, often referred to as the golden mean, has been a subject of endless fascination. The ratio of proportion that formulates the golden mean can be found in nature, artistic design processes, and in how we perceive our surroundings. But how much of this universal formula is true, and how much of it is myth? Here with the answer is Divine Golden Ingenious, a collection of essays from contributors in many fields—architecture, mathematics, science, art, and design—who explore the history and applications of the golden mean. The search for the mean dates back to Euclid in the third century BC, but it was only in the nineteenth century that it reached fame as a universal constant of beauty. From this point onwards the “golden section” was described in flora and fauna, established as the foundation for the Fibonacci number, and optimized by Le Corbusier in architecture. Sorting the fact from the faction, the essays gathered here analyze the golden mean with regard to function and relevance while exploring its use in current examples from art and design. Together, they reveal the extent to which this art-historical phenomenon plays a role in the organization and presentation of the world around us."--