Geometry of Design, Revised and Updated

Description

At last, a mathematical explanation of how art works presented in a manner we can all understand. Kimberly Elam takes the reader on a geometrical journey, lending insight and coherence to the design process by exploring the visual relationships that have foundations in mathematics as well as the essential qualities of life. Geometry of Design takes a close look at a broad range of twentieth-century examples of design, architecture, and illustration (from the Barcelona chair to the paintings of Georges Seurat, from the Braun hand blender to the Conico kettle), revealing underlying geometric structures in their compositions. Explanations and techniques of visual analysis make the inherent mathematical relationships evident and a must-have for anyone involved in art, design, or architecture graphic arts. The book focuses not only on the classic systems of proportioning, such as the golden section and root rectangles, but also on less well known proportioning systems such as the Fibonacci Series. Through detailed diagrams these geometric systems are brought to life giving an effective insight into the design process. Introduction......Page 6 Cognitive Proportion Preferences......Page 7 Proportion and Nature......Page 9 Human Body Proportions in Classical Sculpture......Page 13 Human Body Proportions in Classical Drawing......Page 16 Facial Proportions......Page 21 Architectural Proportions......Page 23 Le Corbusier’s Regulating Lines......Page 25 Construction of the Golden Section Rectangle......Page 27 Golden Section Proportions......Page 30 Golden Section and the Fibonacci Sequence......Page 32 Golden Section Triangle and Ellipse......Page 33 Golden Section Dynamic Rectangles......Page 35 Root 2 Rectangle Construction......Page 37 DIN System of Paper Proportioning......Page 39 Root 2 Dynamic Rectangles......Page 40 Root 3 Rectangle......Page 41 Root 4 Rectangle......Page 43 Root 5 Rectangle......Page 44 Comparison of Root Rectangles......Page 45 The Process of Geometric Analysis......Page 48 Tauromaquia 20 Print......Page 49 Racehorses at Longchamp......Page 53 Ghent, Evening Painting......Page 55 Geometric Analysis......Page 56 Thonet Vienna Chair #14......Page 57 Folies-Bergère Poster......Page 59 Bathing at Asnières Painting......Page 62 Job Poster......Page 66 Ball at the Moulin Rouge Painting......Page 68 La Goulue Arriving at the Moulin Rouge with Two Women Painting......Page 70 Argyle Chair......Page 72 Hill House Chair......Page 73 Willow Tea Room Chair......Page 74 Bauhaus Ausstellung Poster......Page 76 L’Intransigéant Poster......Page 78 East Coast by L.N.E.R. Poster......Page 83 MR Chair......Page 86 Barcelona Chair......Page 88 Chaise Longue......Page 91 Brno Chair......Page 93 Wagon-Bar Poster......Page 95 Konstruktivisten Poster......Page 97 Barrel Chair......Page 99 S. C. Johnson Chair......Page 101 Der Berufsphotograph Poster......Page 105 Max Bill Font......Page 107 Farnsworth House......Page 109 Plywood Chair......Page 111 Philip Johnson Glass House......Page 113 Illinois Institute of Technology Chapel......Page 118 Tulip Chair......Page 121 Vanna Venturi House......Page 123 Vormgevers Poster......Page 127 Fürstenberg Porzellan Poster......Page 129 1972 Munich Olympics Pictograms......Page 131 LEB, London Electricity Board......Page 134 Majakovskij Poster......Page 136 Braun Handblender......Page 138 Braun Aromaster Coffee Maker......Page 140 Il Conico Kettle......Page 142 Volkswagen Beetle......Page 144 Postscript......Page 148 Image & Photo Credits......Page 149 Selected Bibliography......Page 151 Index......Page 152