The Theory of Dynamic Symmetry
Jay Hambidge was an American artist who formulated the theory of dynamic symmetry, a system defining compositional rules. He was a pupil at the Art Students' League in New York and of William Merritt Chase, and a thorough student of classical art. He conceived the idea that the study of arithmetic with the aid of geometrical designs was the foundation of the proportion and symmetry in Greek architecture, sculpture and ceramics. Careful examination and measurements of classical buildings in Greece, among them the Parthenon, the temple of Apollo at Bassæ, of Zeus at Olympia and Athenæ at Ægina, prompted him to formulate this theory, as demonstrated in his works Dynamic Symmetry: The Greek Vase (1920) and The Elements of Dynamic Symmetry (1926).
Mathematical Foundations and Legacy
The system of dynamic symmetry uses dynamic rectangles, including root rectangles based on ratios such as √2, √3, √5, the golden ratio (φ = 1.618...), its square root (√φ = 1.272...), and its square (φ2 = 2.618....), and the silver ratio. From the study of phyllotaxis and the related Fibonacci sequence, Hambidge suggests that a much closer representation would be obtained by a substitute series. His theories appealed to many American artists in the early 20th century. Notable artists who used dynamic symmetry in their painting include:
- George Bellows
- Maxfield Parrish
- Helen Hokinson
- Al Nestler
- Kathleen Munn
- Robert McCloskey
- Clay Wagstaff
- Elizabeth Whiteley
