The Golden Mean

on

Michelangelo's painting, "The Creation of Adam," is believed by some to contain the fingerprint of God (depicted by their fingers touching). Fibonacci discovered the "Golden Mean" through mathematics as it applies to Phi, or 1.168, an integer sequence significant to art and music, as well as math, science and nature. If you like math, there is a scholarly journal devoted to Fibonacci. Being that I am an English major and abhor math, my focus will be on the patterns that result in nature, proportions, and how it applies to art. But first, let's see what Plato had to say on this topic.



This is what Plato said about it,

Proportion's relation to beauty and goodness is stressed throughout Plato's dialogues, particularly in the Republic and Philebus. He writes:
SOCRATES: That any kind of mixture that does not in some way or other possess measure of the nature of proportion will necessarily corrupt its ingredients and most of all itself. For there would be no blending in such a case at all but really an unconnected medley, the ruin of whatever happens to be contained in it.

PROTARCHUS: Very true.

SOCRATES: But now we notice that the force of the good has taken up refuge in an alliance with the nature of the beautiful. For measure and proportion manifest themselves in all areas of beauty and virtue.

PROTARCHUS: Undeniably.

SOCRATES: But we said that truth is also inclined along with them in our mixture?

PROTARCHUS: Indeed.

SOCRATES: Well, then, if we cannot capture the good in one form, we will have to take hold of it in a conjunction of three: beauty, proportion and truth. Let us affirm that these should by right be treated as a unity and be held responsible for what is in the mixture, for goodness is what makes the mixture good in itself. (Wikipedia, 2017)
Examples of the Fibonacci Spiral:





So, once your eye begins learning to spot patterns, you will find the Fibonacci Spiral in most things.
How about Fibonacci Golden Ratio and Architecture? Here's a different example:




Now that we have seen Fibonacci's mathematical golden mean as it applies to ratio, geometry, architecture, art, nature, photography, and math, you realize why you find certain proportions pleasing, while finding other proportions displeasing. It has to do with the overall design and whether or not the Golden Mean applies. Train your eye to look for Fibonacci's patterns and you'll find the difference between the two.