The Four Elemenst of Nature and the Four Seasons of the Year

Two paintings addressing symbolic elements of ancient Greek classical philosophy. They were designed using my image and of my wife, Flavia, in the same position of Leonardo da Vinci Vitruvian Man.

Simultaneously with the philosophical message, I have worked the elements in a playful manner exploring compositional concepts, shape and color. Thus, the elements become symbolic and some (leaves, seeds, flowers shells etc.) represent the naturalism and the computer parts represent the domain of technology in today's society.

The paintings were divided according to the golden ratio that naturally generates logarithmic spirals as geometric divisions are created.

Work 1 - The four elements.

Four golden rectangles surrounding the Vitruvian image and in its interior are geometric shapes that have been generated using the logarithmic spiral provided by the golden ratio, a mathematical relationship used since antiquity.

The earth element was correlated with the generation of life through allusions to seeds and the female sexual organ. The shape of the elements of fire, water and air have their lines alluding to the sinuosity of flames, waves and clouds.

Beside the golden rectangles are small rectangles filled with objects that represent the four elements.

Work 2 - The four seasons.

In this picture, spring is related to flowers, summer to the heat of the sun, autumn to the colors of the leaves that fall at that time and winter to ice crystals. The shapes inserted in the golden rectangles were also obtained by means of logarithmic spirals.