Ir/rational Beauty

Released on the occasion of the Tribute to Herbert W. Franke. www.tribute-hwf.com

"Since the classical age of Greece, the golden ratio has been well known as the most balanced and therefore most aesthetically perfect proportion. In fact, it is supposedly often found in the fine arts and architecture and it is certainly important in geometry. But where is the proof that it is really the most beautiful proportion?

"The computer is proving to be a useful tool in exact art theory. Works of computer art are produced with the help of programs that describe the logic of the construction and its relevant measures. By varying the parameters you can vary the shapes of objects, and on the basis of the reaction of the public you can determine the best option. So it is possible to find valid rules to design works of art.

"A statistical evaluation would be interesting. Please email me with your results for the optimal proportion."

I found it heartwarming that in 2011, Herbert W. Franke wrote the above, accompanied with a simple functional program on a Wolfram Demonstration page (https://demonstrations.wolfram.com/IsTheGoldenRatioReallyTheMostBeautifulProportion/) titled 'Is the Golden Ratio Really the Most Beautiful Proportion?' and invited people to submit their findings to him.

The main idea behind this project is ratios, a variety of them, used in a variety of ways, such as how a rectangle is repeatedly subdivided, or how it influences the aspect ratio of the piece, or how the colors in a palette are selected. These are represented in various styles, some of which are inspired by the aesthetic of Herbert W. Franke's diverse artworks, and his openness to experimentation with new technologies, such as plotter drawings, screens, screenprints, or 2D and 3D digital renderings.

This project, while not designed to be a formal statistical evaluation, is but my fun, colorful, and humble response to your inquiry, dear Herbert.

25% of primary sales will be donated on-chain to the Foundation Herbert W. Franke, with the goal of raising 20,000 Euros so that ZKM Karlsruhe can digitize Herbert W. Franke’s 1,800 manuscripts and make them publicly available. Any money raised beyond this goal will be donated to the Rütgers Foundation which supports children and young adults in Africa so that they can get access to and work with technology.

Controls:
• Double-click/tap or 'R' reassembles the piece (This automatically happens every minute)

Note: Some mints require WEBGL and/or may take several seconds to fully render.

Made in p5js
Created Oct 2022
Artist: @Yazid