On the Application of the Golden Ratio in the Visual Arts

The Golden Ratio or Section or Mean for a line divided into a shorter length a and a longer length b is determined by alb = b/(a + b). The value of the Ratio is the irrational number (/ 5-1)/2 = 0.618.... A Golden Rectangle is one in which the Ratio applies to its sides of length a and b. The ratios of the successive Fibonacci series 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, ... oscillate rapidly to the limiting value 0.618, the Golden Ratio [1]. There are two aspects of the Golden Ratio that are of interest to contemporary artists: (1) whether it should be used as a theoretical basis for their own works of art