Pears

G. Daniel Massad, artist

born 1946

Pears, 1991

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: pastel; paper

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 39.37 x 51.43 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 15 1/2 x 20 1/4 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 24 1/2 x 29 1/4 x 1 in
Weight (Weight): 13 lbs

Credit line: Gift of Suzanne H. Arnold

Accession number: 2020.0066

Not on display

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Images

Label texts

Cryptograph: An Exhibition for Alan Turing

In the preliminary drawing for Pears, Massad shows his calculation of the golden ratio, in order to construct a golden rectangle that he then uses to lay out his composition. The golden ratio, which has many applications in many fields of endeavor, is defined as:
the division of a line so that the whole is to the greater part as that part is to the smaller part (i.e., in a ratio of 1 to 1/2 (√5 + 1)), a proportion that is considered to be particularly pleasing to the eye.
Or, expressed graphically:
This ratio (approximately, 1.6180339887498948482) appears in art, architecture, and book design; in fractal geometry and crystal formation; it is also closely related to the Fibonacci sequence that, in turn, can be observed in many naturally occurring forms.