Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Viceral Response

 
 
 
This is the image I have chosen to analyze for my own visceral response when viewing a design. When I look at this image, I can't help but be drawn in, the lines pleasingly carry the eyes to the center of the image, and then back out, infinitely. I love the contrast created using the single key light from the window. This lighting tactic highlights the design which created contrast and aids in carrying the eye. This design did not happen by accident... 
 
 

This architectural design was created using the Fibonacci Sequence. This sequence occurs in nature, everything from pineapples to face shapes, bees nests to hurricanes. Many of us have heard of it, or at least as its sometimes referred as "The Golden Ratio" or "Rule of [almost] Thirds". In a Fibonacci Spiral, such as this, the center (if complete) would represent the area of 1 followed by 1:3:5:8:11 and so on. I'm no math person, so bear with me, each number in the sequence represents the sum of the previous two numbers. Here's a diagram.


Okay, cool Lacey, math...how does this apply to the design, or the you visceral response? It important because this ratio, and the golden spiral are found in EVERYTHING. We have observed it our whole lives in nature we don't even think about it. For instance, if we find another person attractive, its usually because their face closely resembles this sequence. We don't pull out the measuring tape and start measuring the width of the mouth compared to the distance of their pupils, we call them pretty, or handsome.
   
I understand that I have such a strong response to this image simply because it is a pattern I find pleasing, a pattern that I have been familiar with my whole life. This image captured my attention just like the human form captured Leonardo Da Vinci's in his illustration of the Vitruvian Man or Mona Lisa.



Well, there is your math, history, and design lesson folks. I am glad the image of the stair case caught my attention in such a way that I was able to analyze the reasoning behind my emotional response.

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