What makes something Aesthetically Pleasing?

Funny meeting you here! It’s nice to see you again <3

I briefly touched on what makes something aesthetically pleasing in one of my previous posts, but I would like to delve into it much deeper now.

For centuries philosophers and artists have attempted to decipher the components of what makes something aesthetically pleasing, both in art and everyday life. I feel I need to disclose that there is no definitive answer. However, there are some ideas that appear to have stood the test of time, and provide a benchmark for modern artists and people like us. One of these concepts is that of the 'Golden Section' or 'Golden Ratio' which can be applied and found through nature, art and the five senses.

The “Golden Ratio” (closely related to the "Fibonacci Sequence" and "Fractals", which I want to post about later) is a mathematical formula on which was discovered in ancient Greece, after scholars began exploring the visual qualities of the natural world. One of its many applications is a way to approach the creation of aesthetically pleasing artworks through effective composition (I feel this is still applicable, aren’t we all pieces of art?). The “Golden Ratio” is quite profound and makes one think that it's almost as if beauty has been built into the natural world, and that humans attempt to mirror it in their own work. If beauty has indeed been “built into” the natural world, what does that imply? Is this part of the mathematical formula for beauty? If beauty has indeed been “built into” nature, who built it in the first place? Does this point to God? Feel free to comment your thoughts.

The Golden Ratio as applied to art and nature

But moving on, the “Golden Ratio” is exactly what the name insinuates, that there is a perfect proportion of artistic principles needed to make something perfect or in this case “aesthetically pleasing”. The “Golden Ratio” is the combination of components such as colour, tone, texture etc. and how these components interact with each other to create balance, harmony, and ultimately, beauty.

The definition of aesthetics in art (and everyday life) is continually evolving. Many people see it not as purely visual discernment, but as a judgement of how a particular aesthetic is experienced. That is, how we emotionally respond to the aesthetic as a whole, not just responding to how it looks. I mentioned this briefly in previous posts, how the five senses interact with what we see visually. This includes how our emotions and personalities have unique and complex reactions to what we see visually and what we interpret to be aesthetically pleasing.

I would like to point out the flaws in the “Golden Ratio”. This equation is wonderful in theory, and is a great rule of thumb to use when creating an aesthetic… but I have my doubts that a mathematical equation can cover all aspects of beauty, within all aspects of aesthetics and still take into account every individuals interpretations, biases and unique view of beauty. If such an equation does exist, I’m pretty sure only God knows about it.

If anything, as I’ve stipulated throughout this blog, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. It’s a timeless saying that so far, I’ve found to be true in every situation I’ve encountered. If you’ve read the book Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, you’ll understand what I mean.

Alright my loves! That’s it for this post and my musings, so as always, feel free to comment and share. See you on the flip side!