The kids and I went to The Blue Train Cafe today (my last visit to one of my long-time favourite Melbourne haunts) for lunch and I took my geometry kit. This is one of my favourite ways to relax. There is something about working out basic platonic solids and golden ratio designs, armed with only a compass, ruler and pencil, which completely absorbs my attention and concentration for an hour and gives me a bunch of joy. I never paid attention to geometry as a kid. It’s only been the last five years or so that I have been so fascinated by it. The book that I use as a guide, “Geometry Of The Golden Section“, is something I picked up in a little bookshop besides the abbey in Vézelay in France in 2004. If you ever get a chance to visit Vézelay, do it. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The abbey does a polyphonic mass which is beautiful enough to impress even a militant atheist such as myself. And the abbey itself, which is from the 9th century, is simple amazing. Anyway, as I was saying – I loves me some time with a compass.
Zen Geometry
by cameron | Mar 15, 2008 | Melbourne, Uncategorized | 6 comments
6 Comments
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Nice work, Cameron.
I’ve been struggling with an electronic version so my students can scroll through the construction process at http://www.slideshare.net/ozi/golden-mean-and-the-pentagon
My inspiration has been Robert Lawlor’s “Sacred Geometry” http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Geometry-Philosophy-Practice-Imagination/dp/0500810303
Thanks for the links, Simon. I’ve added the book to my amazon wishlist!
Why is it your last visit to Blue Train? Is it closing? No!. One of my faves in Melbourne too.
bob, it’s because I move to Brisbane in 10 days.
There was an architect on By Design discussing the golden section. It’s in the first half of the show. Was interesting to hear how passionate he was about the golden section and its ability to connect people with architecture
Thx for the link Angus. Listening now. Laughed when they tried to get me to download a media player to listen to it. Someone tell the ABC about FLASH. http://snurl.com/21zz9