The artwork adorning one of the cafeteria walls in the Center Building is part of the transformation of the Center Building. The mural titled “The Flower of Life,” was painted on the temporary wall covering the windows. The mural will remain until the end of spring break. Then it will be gone.
The Flower of Life
Winter term 2015 Art 111 students
Instructor: Andrea Ciaston
We chose the flower of life as our image to represent important meaning to many throughout history. The symbol can be found in manuscripts, temples and art throughout cultures around the world.
The Temple of Osiris at Abydos, Egypt contains the oldest known examples of the “Flower of Life.” They are at least 6,000 years old and may date back to 10,500 B.C. or earlier. It appears that it had not been carved into the granite and instead may have been burned into the granite or somehow drawn on it with incredible precision. It is thought to possibly represent the Eye of Ra, a symbol of the authority of the pharaoh. Other examples can be found in Phoenician, Assyrian, Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern and medieval art.
Leonardo da Vinci studied the Flower of Life’s form and its mathematical properties. He drew the Flower of Life itself, as well as various components such as the Seed of Life. He drew geometric figures representing shapes such as the platonic solids, a sphere, a torus and also used the golden ratio of phi in his artwork; all of which may be derived from the Flower of Life design.
Art students found this symbol to be meaningful.