[Jewelry making - Article 00873] - Re: [Orchid] Jewelry design - what & where to learn

[John Donivan]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

>     i just have to throw this link in this subject
>     http://en.wikipedia.org/golden_ratio 

    Almost renamed this "So what is this Golden Ratio and what does it
    Mean?"... But it's good as it is.. The Golden Ratio is easily
    researched as to WHAT it is - I won't get into that here. I'll begin
    with this quote from Mathworld: 

    In the Season 1 episode "Sabotage" (2005) of the television crime
    drama NUMB3RZ, math genius Charlie Eppes mentions that the golden
    ratio is found in the pyramids of Giza and the Parthenon at Athens.
    Similarly, the character Robert Langdon in the novel The Davinci
    Code makes similar such statements (Brown 2003, pp. 93-95). However,
    claims of the significance of the golden ratio appearing prominently
    in art, architecture, sculpture, anatomy, etc., tend to be greatly
    exaggerated. 

    To think about the importance of the Golden Ratio in design - I'm
    not pretending it's not important - I am saying it's not THAT
    important - we need to ask ourselves, "Was the piece in question
    designed using the Golden Ratio?" In the case of almost everything
    everybody mentions - the pyramids, the Parthenon (for sure), the
    Mona Lisa, DaVinci's anything, the answer is unequvocally NOT.
    Search for "Mona Lisa Golden Ratio", and you'll find beautiful
    golden rectangles drawn here and there, for sure. Anybody who wants
    to can draw any rectangles they choose in the same spots with the
    same results - they don't mean anything, it's entirely arbitrary
    (It's actually based on a triangle). Fact is, the concept has been
    around for a long time, but nobody much cared about it until the
    1500's and really not until the late 1800's and after - that's
    debatable, I guess, but certainly not the pyramids. 

    From Wikipedia: 

    Some scholars deny that the Greeks had any aesthetic association
    with golden ratio. For example, Midhat J. Gazale says, "It was not
    until Euclid, however, that the golden ratio's mathematical
    properties were studied. In the Elements (308 B.C.) the Greek
    mathematician merely regarded that number as an interesting
    irrational number. 

    And: 

    It is indeed exemplary that the great Euclid, contrary to
    generations of mystics who followed, would soberly treat that number
    for what it is, without attaching to it other than its factual
    properties."[16] And Keith Devlin says, "Certainly, the oft repeated
    assertion that the Parthenon in Athens is based on the golden ratio
    is not supported by actual measurements. In fact, the entire story
    about the Greeks and golden ratio seems to be without foundation.
    The one thing we know for sure is that Euclid, in his famous
    textbook Elements, written around 300 B.C., showed how to calculate
    its value. 

    The point being that the Golden Ratio is important. Mostly it's
    important in mathematics, because it pops up all the time. And it's
    not even really that important in mathematics - The General Theory of
    Relativity is important. The math behind String Theory is important.
    Bose-Einstein Condensation is important. The Golden Ratio is more of
    a mind puzzle that maybe leads to some understanding of nature's
    plan. But the fact that we can go back to antiquity and draw
    rectangles on things only means that it represents a pleasing shape,
    and people like pleasing shapes. If something is designed using the
    Ratio, then you have something - going back later and imprinting it
    on art work is trivial and meaningless. So, learn what it's about,
    enjoy it, use it - you'll get a finely shaped swimming pool if you
    use the Golden Ratio. After that I'd suggest moving on to the nature
    of curves - much more interesting and useful. Yes, mathematical
    construct curves can be tied to the Golden Ratio, too, but Golden
    Ratio curves are only a tiny percentage of curves (and only a
    non-designer would use such a ponderous method to draw them). Get a
    pencil and go "Swoop" on a piece of paper........ I have three "real"
    mathematicians in my family (particle, laser and other), and they do
    have an endless fascination with how numbers make patterns, kind of
    like going into a grocery checkout with 16 items and having it add up
    to $60.00. Does that mean that everything, or indeed anything, in the
    real world and especially artistic design needs to even nod to the
    principle? No, not really, unless you just want to.... On the other
    hand you won't get far without knowing what it's about, either. 

http://www.donivanandmaggiora.com
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________