Inspirerende kunst: natuur geometrie

Lessen in efficiëntie en energiebeheer

Ik kan er diep van onder de indruk zijn hoe de natuur als vanzelf zo efficiënt mogelijk omgaat met de voorhanden zijnde energie en materialen. De hexagoon (zeshoek) komt veel voor in de natuur. Wij kennen deze het beste als die honingraat. De bijen hebben uitgevonden dat deze vorm het meest efficiënt is, omdat het een groot vlak met zoveel mogelijk van deze zeshoeken kan vullen, plus dat je de kleinste ‘muur oppervlakte’ tussen de vormen nodig hebt. Want die muren moeten ze zelf maken dus hoe minder energie dat kost, hoe beter.

Voor de zonnebloem gold hetzelfde: hoe kan ik zoveel mogelijk zaden kwijt op 1 vlak en heb ik zo min mogelijk energie nodig om ze te maken? Voila!

Inspiring Art:

Natural Geometry Lessons in Efficiency and Energy Management

"Where there is matter, there is geometry." – Johannes Kepler

Just like me, many artists draw inspiration from the beautiful forms that nature creates. As a nature photographer, I've narrowed my perspective and zoomed in on the fantastic world of natural patterns and textures. My photo library is brimming with these patterns because I see them everywhere. I capture them because I'm certain I'll use them for a new artwork at some point.

I first fell in love with natural geometry when I saw withered sunflowers. Armed with my camera, I stood amidst a field full of these faded giants, their heads hanging low, and couldn't get enough of their beauty. The seeds were at their largest, and the pattern was unmistakable. Thus, my photo series "Anticipation" was born.

I'm deeply impressed by how nature inherently maximizes efficiency with the available energy and materials. The hexagon appears frequently in nature. We're most familiar with it as the honeycomb. Bees have figured out that this shape is the most efficient because it can fill a large area with as many of these hexagons as possible, while requiring the smallest "wall surface" between the shapes. They have to build those walls themselves, so the less energy it costs, the better.

The same applied to the sunflower: how can I fit as many seeds as possible onto one surface and use the least amount of energy to create them? Voilà!

Why not all patterns in nature are hexagons has to do with other natural laws, such as gravity and surface tension. Think about the shape of water droplets or air bubbles in soap suds. Due to the forces of nature and biochemical processes, they adopt their most efficient form. After all, an organism prefers optimization over maximization. It seeks the very best way to grow and thrive. If it has to put in too much effort, it lacks sufficient energy and puts itself in danger.

This immediately draws an ecopsychological link to humans: if we keep pushing ourselves beyond our limits and neglect ourselves, we put our lives at risk (burnout). When we pay attention to the available energy and adjust our lives accordingly, we're likely to be much happier. Another reason to seek guidance from Mother Nature more often.

I'm glad that more and more people are appreciating the lessons from nature. Fortunately, there are also an increasing number of product designers and architects who incorporate the lessons of biomimicry in efficiency and energy efficiency.

Françoise

PS:

Biologist Ernst Haeckel expressed the patterns of nature in his beautiful drawings at the beginning of the 20th century.