Customer Reviews

Pattern and Design with Dynamic Symmetry

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If one wishes to understand the underlying design principles that caused, created and drove the art of Classic Greece, Rome and Byzantium, the Renaissance, as well as Neolithic artifacts, and some of the most popular 20th-century art, one must grasp these principles of aesthetics. Even the orbits of the planets are found to correspond with these timeless proportions. All aesthetic harmonies and symmetries, from the lowliest atom to the expanding universe itself to the most creative works of man--Leonardo, Praxiteles and Mozart--based upon a single proportional relationship.

Caveat: We live in a babyfood world now--everything is pre-analyzed, pre-digested and pre-packaged for us--comparatively this book is a steep learning curve; using it successfully takes some diligent work. Much as "On Walden Pond" by Thoreau, oil the rusty old cogwheels of the mind before proceeding. This is a workbook with plenty of exercises and one must really do them. If one tires of 'state of the art' fads that are obsolete whilst rolling off the assembly line, find a Ticonderoga #2 with a good eraser, some drawing tools and a stack of paper and hunker down with this book.

One can go through life a practical man, with enough understanding of things to be successful, yet without true understanding of underlying principles. This book is for those who wish to be truly professional, and are willing to do the homework to make it happen.

The subtitle: How to Create Art Deco Geometrical Designs describes it well. This is a classic book that will not be outdated. Explains the root rectangles in great depth.

I purchased this book to copy the patterns from it and use them as borders in my boutis projects - not exactly a lofty, heady pursuit at all.
However, upon reading it I was enthralled with the practicality of design principles based upon what Mr. Edwards calls, "dynamic symmetry." This book was indeed thought-provoking and has inspired me toward creating and designing patterns instead of just copying them from books.
I'd be willing to bet this book would be a nice accompaniment to design software as well; it would be a sort of 'framework' or 'where did that concept come from' kind of partnership.