Leonardo da Vinci
I am choosing to study da Vinci because his work is largely based on the relationships and patterns between everything that exists in reality. He was quoted as saying ‘Learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else’. I think that da Vinci and my study of his work provides a great stepping stone for me to advance the theme of my project around the title ‘Relationships’. Initially I am going to look to focus on the relationship between man and nature and different aspects that connect us to nature
This first piece by da Vinci is entitled ‘the study of perpetual motion’. I have chosen this as it focuses on the relationship and pattern found between various aspects of nature and also with shapes and how these are used in the proportion and formation of forms of nature and also forms of humanity. This piece is a good study in relation to the starting point of my theme as I want to use these relationships found in nature and study them more closely and create representations of this theory through a more abstract style. I think that this piece as with a lot of da Vinci’s pieces make you realise the relationship that everything in existence shares with one another and that this helps connect us all and makes things appear exactly how we see them. This piece is very powerful but not in a way that may be classed as powerful in terms of initial appearance but instead powerful in the sense of the thoughts that his work can provoke and the power and meaning behind these thoughts. Although this piece may not be as easy for people to appreciate, the meaning behind it is the base and formation of many things around us and through the use of science and observation da Vinci was able to show through such intricate sketches the relationships between nature and art. Through his use of proportion and mathematical thought behind it he was able to produce pieces with ‘perfect proportions’.
I have chosen this second piece The Golden Ratio, Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci as I feel it encapsulates the relationship between art, architecture, science and nature (shells, plants, etc.). This is also quite pertinent to Da Vinci’s piece ‘The Flower of Life’. It also has a connection to the first piece I have chosen to look at because of its meaning. The piece itself is probably one of the most recognised works of art by Da Vinci. The inclusion of the Fibonacci sequence in the piece also relates directly to how certain images are perceived.
The sequence can be observed in pieces of work by other artists as well as architecture. This piece includes a classical style drawing of a man, which is detailed in form but it is not this alone which interests you. The eye is drawn to the sequence and the relationship it has to Da Vinci’s art. The man in the piece is Vitruvius, an architect, which again signifies the connection between differing areas of design. It also engages our thought about the correlation between the symmetry of man and the universe. I can clearly see routes for me to research which will enable me to develop my ideas. There are many aspects of relationships which can be looked at and I hope the evolvement of my ideas will be visible in my work throughout this brief.