Symmetry in Nature and Art

 

Symmetry is very common in biological structures in nature.  Because of that, and because different areas of your visual cortex are stimulated by it in visual imagery, it is a common motif in art.

A recent scientific study that is in the news today tries to explain why it is so prevalent in nature.  The study says the following

"The most likely explanation for why proteins and bodies are symmetrical is not because symmetry gives a survival advantage, but because more symmetrical, repeating forms appear in the first place.

So what makes that happen? Symmetrical forms have likely evolved more frequently and then persisted over evolutionary time because they often require less information to produce than asymmetrical forms do."

Making and then breaking symmetry is also a really effective art strategy.  It could be subtle, or more dramatic.  All of the examples shown here were automatically created by generative ai algorithms working in Studio Artist Gallery Show.