Symmetrical Sense

Before you start reading this post I must warn you that I’m not a professional or acedemic writer. I may write in the same way I like to explain things when I’m talking.

It is also quite long for a blog post not that blog posts have some sort of limit. It might be an idea to make yourself  a cup of coffee (if you drink it) or tea (if you drink it), relax and read this post.

I’m fascinated by design, the way we see things, the way we interpret things or even the way we sometimes want to see things. I’m fascinated by design because the concepts can be applied in other areas of our lives, not necessarily in design. So let’s get started.

Why do we find some people or things beautiful or attractive to look at and what’s this got to do with symmetry?

Why symmetry? Symmetry is a fascinating subject simply for the reason that it is very broad. It is a design structure that has existed in nature as far back as humans can possibly remember. It is not something that can be denied as a phenomenon, as it is not an idea, opinion or invention created by humans.

This post has been named ‘Symmetrical Sense’ simply because it is part of our nature to sense balance in our lives, mentally, physically and visually, hence the title ‘Symmetrical Sense’. Perhaps it should always be mentioned alongside our other existing senses, such as sight, sense of smell, hearing and taste. If we question why symmetry even matters at all in a broad sense, quite obviously, we can see that a lot of things in this world would physically collapse as a result of an imperfection or lack in symmetry. For example, man made structures; a house, table, car and non-man made structures; the human body, animals and plants.

We may already know what symmetry is in its simplest terms in one way or another, but in order to recognize exactly how we all have this sense of symmetry it will be a vital part of this post to explore where it is present in nature, how it relates to our daily lives and how it is interpreted by various cultures across the world.

The work of artists Piero della Francesca and M.C.Escher will also be explored to get an idea of how or why symmetry was used in art. This should then provide a clear indication as to the potential use that symmetry could have to create beautiful images, presentations and web template layouts.

Beauty is something we all recognise and appreciate. Learning exactly how to create this in terms of layout, graphics, sculpting, photography and modelling would result in powerful visual beauty every time but our perception of beauty varies from person to person. We all make observations about what is or is not beautiful but many of us are unaware of exactly what it is that makes us recognise something to be beautiful. Knowing this could make it possible to re-create it for it to appear beautiful to others.

Perceptions of Beauty

It would seem that our personal experiences have created individual patterns or innate structures for each one of us, that have built, governed and shaped our own perception of beauty. It could possibly be suggested then, that it is not a conscious decision atall and if not, then could we would find a right combination of experiences to shape our perceptions for things to appear beautiful for others?

If all this were possible, all we would need is something that everyone is familiar with. It may be possible then to recreate this perception of beauty by using these familiarities ultimately creating a recipe for visual beauty. Something that we are all familiar with is nature, after all we as humans are a part of nature itself so it would make sense to find visual clues in nature.

Symmetry in Nature

When a product is being designed it is important to identify its purpose. Once this has been identified, the product then goes ahead to be designed, manufactured and used. Using this same concept, this section is intended to explore symmetry within our natural surroundings to identify its purpose within design. I have examined this very briefly from a visual point of view but more in-depth in terms of the way various interpretations of symmetry play certain roles within nature. The reason for this is to recognize the close relationship that symmetry has between people as well as nature. It is important to take a look at how our brains gather and store information to grasp a better understanding of the closeness of this relationship.

Something Seems Familiar

We all carry out our day-to-day activities often oblivious to the fact that, everything our senses are experiencing, are being absorbed by our brains every second of our lives. Naturally, we cannot possibly absorb all the details and be able to recall them all at will. Occasionally we hear a sound or melody, smell something, taste a particular type of food or see something as simple as a leaf falling from a tree, and it may remind us of a past event in our life. But how can a new experience remind us of an event that has already taken place? Surely we must already have experienced it at some point for it to make a connection.

Below is an illustration of a combination of lines that does not show a complete picture. Although this image may never have been seen before, our brain has learned to observe the image, scan for previously stored images that may be similar and make an association allowing us to detect what it may possibly be. You can see that this is an image of a human face even though you only see it as an incomplete picture. Fig.1

Fig.01 Illustration of lines allow the brain to detect the complete image / by Wasim [1]

Here is a very short imaginary scenario of going to work and although it is not the exact events in this scenario that matter, it is the use of all the senses and how they trigger certain emotions and memories that will be relevant.

As I leave the house to go to work, the strong scent of freshly cut grass reminds me of when my mother and father used to take me to have afternoon picnics in the park. I can picture the sandwiches wrapped up in foil, small packets of crisps, orange juice and even the burgundy-chequered pattern on the picnic mat. I remember hurrying my food so I would have more time to play on the swings. I also remember having no other commitments, worries or problems and enjoying my life to the fullest.

Our brains collect new pieces of information by associating them with similar ones that have been stored previously. This builds up a huge web or network of small snippets of information allowing the brain to make sense of the things around us. Tony Buzan is the worlds leading author and top lecturer on the brain. He said, “The human brain does not think in terms of tool bars and menu lists. It thinks organically like all natural forms, like the circulation system, the branches of a tree, the nervous system and the veins in a leaf. [2] ” This network type structure that the brain is made up of, is exactly the same structure it uses to compile and hold information, resembling branches of a tree.

In the scenario, there was one particular event that took place that triggered a chain of several other memories. The smell of freshly cut grass seemed comforting as it eventually lead to memories of having no problems or worries. In a real life event, quite often we experience these types of small bursts of emotions without really knowing what sparked them off in the first place. We are influenced by the smallest details around us without being fully aware of them.

An experiment was carried out by Derren Brown, an expert at mind-trickery and psychological manipulation. This example is by no means a ‘be all and end all’ as proof, as Derren Brown is also a showman and certain trickery could have been involved in the airing of this particular experiment on television. However it is vital to grasp the concept that I have decided to use here. He asked two advertising agency professionals to quickly create a company logo and strap line from a simple brief that he had written himself. He arranged to meet them both at a secret location. The results showed that the image of the logo and strap line that the advertising professionals produced, were almost identical to what Derren brown had already prepared previous to the agency professionals working on it. The way in which Derren planned for this to work was to arrange a taxi to pick them up and travel through a pre-planned route. During the journey on this route they were exposed to particular events, again pre-planned and arranged by Derren. The results of the experiment showed that controlled exposure to particular events during their small taxi journey influenced their decision making progress allowing Derren to appear to predict the outcome. [3]

In the same way as this experiment we are often unaware to what extent we are being influenced through constant exposure to symmetry. This will be explored a little later in the post.

Symmetry and The Various Types

There are various types of symmetry, all of which exist in nature. As well as the visual presence of symmetry, other interpretations seem to stem throughout history from cultural and religious beliefs around the world where they are believed to play important roles in terms of understanding how to comprehend our surroundings and existence within nature. Yet all the various interpretations seem to connect and hold a sense of harmony.

Purely from a visual sense, almost everywhere we look there is some kind of symmetrical value present in nature. It exists in the human body, insects, birds, reptiles, animals, plants, fruit, vegetables and fish. So what is symmetry? An image, object or shape is described as being symmetrical when it can be divided into two equal halves both containing an exact mirror image of one another. This particular type is called reflective or bilateral symmetry. Fig. 02 below shows an illustration of this type of symmetry.

Fig.02 Bilateral / Reflective Symmetry Illustrated by Wasim

Many natural shapes or objects, for example a leaf, tree, the human body, face and even our brains appear to be symmetrical and both sides will resemble each other but they do not, in fact, contain exact symmetry. This particular type is referred to as asymmetry as shown in Fig.03. The left and right side of the leaf appear to be mirror images of one another, but if one half is removed and the other duplicated and flipped horizontally and placed next to it, it would not be identical to the image below.

Fig.03 Asymmetry in a leaf / Original photo by Wasim. [4]

There is also a more complex type of symmetry and very different in the sense that it is not possible to locate a line of symmetry. The symmetrical patterns start from one single centre point, which then rotates, duplicating the pattern at regular intervals in a circular motion until a circular pattern is formed. It could be understood better if it is compared to the way in which a compass is used to draw a circle. Imagine, for every few centimetres that the pencil draws a line, a shape appears. This would draw a set of equally positioned shapes on a rotational path. If this whole shape is then rotated the same shape sould able to be viewed several times during rotation. This is referred to as rotational symmetry. Fig.04 Below shows an illustration of rotational symmetry.

Fig.04 Rotational Symmetry Illustrated by Wasim

Interpretation Of Symmetry In Various Cultures

In many religious beliefs and cultures it is understood that the ability to cope patiently through times of uncertainty in our lives can be learned and perfected as a direct result of knowing how to interpret and understand symmetrical values in every aspect of our life and the universe in which we live.

Very often throughout our lives we go through phases where we may experience negative or positive states or moods some of which may be determined by our surrounding situation. Depending on how we respond to these situations, the outcome varies considerably. A negative situation confronted with a positive action is perceived to create a positive outcome. It is the practice of observing these types of situations by interpreting them in a balanced sense that has been the focal point in many cultural and religious beliefs.

Symmetry is associated closely with balance and plays a number of complex roles depending on its cultural interpretation. It can be interpreted as justice, represented by scales, patterns and routine in nature, our own life referring to circumstances and behaviour, patterns in the seasons and the universe referring to movement and sound. There are many familiar phrases that have all been used by various cultures throughout history all representing balance. i.e. ‘You reap what you sow’, ‘what goes round comes around’, ‘no pain no gain’, ‘after the rain comes the sun’, and the idea of light and dark representing good and evil. Each one of these contains two sides that require the right balance in order for them to work.

Fig.05 Symmetry present in religious symbols [5]

It is interesting how each one of these religions and cultures vary considerably in terms of their exact ideas in their belief of how to live, and yet the symbols all seem to contain symmetrical values signifying almost parallel interpretations of balance. In Fig. 05 above are symbols used by various cultures. Image ‘A’ shows a Chinese symbol called the Yin and Yang representing opposites. Yin is often symbolized by water and air, while yang is symbolized by fire and earth. It could also mean male and female or light and dark. Image ‘B’ shows the Star of David in the Judaism religion, a symbol represented by two interwoven triangles again signifying equal balance. Image ‘C’ is the central image of Hinduism showing their god ‘vishnu’. In her right hand is a flower representing creation and purity while in the left is a club showing authority. On either side within the body are many signs representing the universe, again showing balance. [7]

Our heart, blood and veins are essential to our body, in the same way that rain, mountains and valleys are to the planet. This comparison of our body to the planet can help to put our own existence into perspective providing a sense of balance and a feeling of being part of a huge network within nature. But comparing beliefs, religions, cultures, and ways of life with one another by blindly mentioning symmetry to make an apparent connection seems be somewhat pointless. The cultures can be described as being linked by symmetry or balance but where is the real connection? i.e. How or why does each culture or belief encompass identical symmetrical values? Is it the actual belief or culture of the person that causes this connection? Or is there some other underlying explanation for the similarities. The motivation behind attempting to explore this further is to locate suitable areas where symmetry plays the role of connecting, not only cultures but more importantly individuals with each other.

If people are exposed to a particular environment for long periods of time, certain patterns of behaviour begin to emerge causing us to adapt through influence. We learn to manage or cope with each circumstance that arises within that environment. If a child is surrounded at an early age by thieves and is taught that it is right to steal, it may result in the child genuinely believing that stealing is in fact the right thing to do, until told otherwise.

Taking all this into consideration, what happens in the case of constant exposure to patterns and shapes around us, in particular symmetry?

The Extent of Exposure to Symmetrical Values

Our universe contains galaxies, which are made up of trillions of stars which itself is something that seems to be incomprehensible. Fig.06 below shows an image taken at a distance of about three thousand light years from our planet earth and is 1.2 light years wide. It is something that has been named as the Cats Eye Nebula, a formation of stars and gases. The star at the centre can be seen as a bright spot which can be used as a rotational pivot point. The red shape is an illustrated outline to show which area is being duplicated on the opposite side of the nebula. The illustration has been split into four sections A, B, C and D, to show exactly how the shape is duplicated through rotational symmetry.

Fig.06 Rotational Symmetry present in Cats Eye Nebula [8]

Below is an image of a flower taken at a distance of less than twelve inches from the human eye and yet the same rotational symmetry exists in the flower as it does in the cats’ eye nebula. 

Fig.07 Rotational Symmetry present in a flower [9]

From three thousand light years away to a flower less than twelve inches away from the human eye to something that is even closer. In fact it is so close that we as humans do not even have the capacity to comprehend it. Symmetry does not only surround us but it is literally right inside our bodies. It is something that provides all possible signals to our body allowing us to communicate and move in every possible balanced way. This source that we are guided by is made up of symmetrical values, our own human brain, each side taking care of it’s own half of the body in a balanced way. Fig. 08, images A and D show symmetry in the human brain.

Fig.08 Symmetrical values present in the human Brain [10]

If all cultures draw there conclusions and discoveries from nature then it can be suggested that there may not actually be any huge difference between the beliefs or the source from which they draw their conclusions from. It would appear now that the concept of balance in life is a direct result of being surrounded by nature and not human cultural teachings.

It is not often we are taught from an early age that symmetry and balance exist in nature as far way as thousands of light years to right inside our own bodies. Regardless of whether we are taught this or not we are, without a doubt, exposed to symmetry over and over again every single day of our lives without being consciously aware of it. Every time we talk to someone, look in the mirror or look at a bird flying we are exposed to symmetrical values. Every structure is built upon symmetry and balance and is therefore almost never hidden from our vision. It is important to understand this extent of just how much we are exposed to symmetry and balance.

For each one of us the world is quite a different place. The way one person perceives it, may not be the same for another. Although this perception leads to a formation of divided opinions, in the case of symmetry, the actual physical existence and exposure to symmetry is not a matter of opinion. Surely this surpasses all boundaries of cultures and faiths continually shaping and influencing our senses.

So where does this leave the designer in terms of the value and use of symmetry? With the knowledge that nearly all humans are encompassed by symmetry regardless of their cultural belief or background, surely it is something that should at least be taken into consideration in any kind of design process.

Symmetry in Art

The earliest forms of artwork can be dated back to 15000BC to cave art in Lascaux in South Western France. The reason for observing artwork as far back as this is to provide a clear understanding of how artists have always used natural surroundings to enhance communication through their artwork.

In this particular image there is not enough artistic information to perceive whether the smaller animal is supposed to be far away or is in fact smaller. Fig.09 Below appears to have no real depth.

Fig.09 Cave Art in Lascaux, South Western France.

The Unicorn from the great Hall of the Bulls [11]

It could not have been possible for cave artists to show any type of compositional value in terms of depth, perspective or symmetrical balance in the same way that later artists could. This was obviously as a direct result of not having discovered any compositional design concepts yet. It is evident however that they did have the capacity to use natural shapes, tones and colours from their surroundings to inspire their artwork. This capacity, in itself was probably their most valuable tool at the time.

This sounds like an obvious statement to make, but if an artist attempts to create a piece of artwork, whether it is a sketch, painting, digital work or even a sculpture, without using the surroundings as a resource, it would be an impossible task as there are no other sources at all to draw from. As humans we have no other choice of shapes, objects or colours except for those that come from our own memory, which can only come from our surroundings. Therefore, just like the cave artists, the idea of using our surroundings and incorporating them within artwork is still apparent and needed today. The main difference and most valuable tool for later artists were the various discoveries of harmonic proportions and symmetry within nature allowing many artists to use these concepts by applying them within their artwork.

Today there are many design concepts used in art, which are applied to give an image more depth and meaning. Some of these are the golden section rule, perspective, tonal values and symmetry. These have been around us for thousands of years but obviously had to be discovered in order for them to be incorporated. But even after the discovery of these concepts it is the conscious use of observing compositional values and patterns in nature and applying them in artwork, that provide artists with the skill to dictate how their viewers associate what they see, with beauty.

Artists such as Piero della Francesca used these compositional values to create artwork that many people could associate to. In order to support any research on how or why Piero used symmetry as a communication tool it is vital to take a brief look at his cultural background and upbringing. 

Piero della Francesca was born in 1416 in Borgo Sansepolcro, Italy. His family were merchants of leather and wool and so Piero was expected to follow in the same footsteps. To do this successfully a mathematics tutor was assigned for him. Although he went on to learn all the skills for commercial accounting which included, arithmetic, algebra and geometry, they were not eventually to be used in the same field of work that his father had hoped. Piero’s interest in arithmetic, algebra and geometry was combined with his passion for art and incorporated within his paintings. [12] Not only did he choose the religion of his hometown, namely Christianity, as his main theme, but also chose to use strong symmetrical values within his compositions possibly as a way of portraying symmetry as being divine. With the understanding that symmetry is not man made, the representation of it, as being divine, suddenly seems more and more acceptable in Piero’s compositions.

Fig.10 Painting by Piero della Franscesca [13]

Fig.10 above is called ‘The Brera Altarpiece.’ It is an example of how paintings were prepared in terms of symmetry. The image on the right has been duplicated and faded. The red lines [14] indicate the symmetrical split and although were more geometrical lines than this, in developing this composition, only a few have been included here for simplicity.

The image can clearly be split into two halves with one person placed directly in the centre. On either side are five people positioned in the same mirror image locations. Even the body of the child is on both halves.

As an artist, to simply paint or draw our surroundings can seem dull or boring. Many use the idea of distorting an image to give their work originality. Fig.11 below shows art work that is made up of a number of precisely calculated images that fit into one another. The small images show preparation sketches and geometric calculations used to plan the artwork. The idea behind this image and many others like it is to create a pattern that could potentially continue to be repeated for ever to cover the size of any area. The horseman image is calculated in such a way that it fits exactly into a symmetrical image of itself like a jigsaw. The light coloured horses face towards the left while the dark coloured ones face the right fitting into one another perfectly.

Fig. 11 Horseman by M.C Escher [15]

The artist behind this work is M.C.Escher, full name Maurits Cornelis Escher. He first saw these kinds of patterns in a fourteenth century palace called The Alhambra, Granada, Spain. [16] The Alhambra is known through out the world as the most visited monument in Spain. It’s Muslim heritage and intricate geometric designs date as far back as the year 1238. [17] It does not seem that M.C.Escher was interested in the actual faith aspect in the designs but more to do with the way each pattern did not seem to have an end. Many muslim artists do not attempt to recreate images of living things as they are believed to be the sole creation of God.

For this reason their artwork is often made up of patterns showing lines and shapes that link to one another without an apparent end, representing God as eternal. Fig12. Below is an image showing a small part of a wall in the Alhambra.

Fig.12 Islamic architecture in The Alhambra monument in Granada, Spain

If all harmonic proportions, including symmetrical values, come from nature it could be argued that no artwork is entirely original. The word ‘original’ itself is described as something ‘arising or proceeding independently of anything else [18] ’, however it is the order in which an artist decides to compile or present their work that creates originality. Symmetry is still used today and can be observed as a tool allowing artists to use it to add more beauty to their artwork.

Conclusion

Many movements in our body seem to be carried out without much effort, but something as simple as pouring water into a glass involves hundreds of muscles moving with one another by receiving hundreds of signals at the right times from our brain to our body. It would be an impossible task if we made a conscious effort to be aware of all these movements. This is obviously a natural ability, again just like symmetry, it is a phenomenon that we have not created. Without it, we would probably spend most of our lives making this conscious effort every time we needed to move. It is clearly something that we are not in control of but often take for granted. Symmetry, is as much as part of our lives as our own body movements themselves. We cannot control or remove symmetry from the clusters of stars thousands of light years away, nor can we remove it from the flowers around us.

What ever our opinions or interpretations are about symmetry, none of us seem to have enough knowledge to be able to comprehend symmetry or its real source. Our brains seem to be a part of everything else symmetrical that exists in nature, another incomprehensible phenomenon. Our sense of balance comes from our brains, which ultimately comes from nature. It would seem that everyone is exposed to so much symmetry from the moment we are born that we cannot avoid having symmetrical sense.

I’m going to use what might sound like a ridiculous concept. If half of the worlds population were born without the ability to understand when someone had stolen from them, the other half would take advantage of this and become thieves. Why? Because it would be easy to steal from people who have no understanding that they have had something stolen from them. One half would become richer while the other half would be at a disadvantage and left wandering why they have so little. Using this same concept, designers that are unaware of the extent of symmetry and its potential use, could possibly be at a disadvantage compared to those that are aware of its use. To ignore it, especially in the design world where success is determined by presentation and good first impressions, it would seem a mistake.

Tagged as: Design