Golden Sunflowers

Sunflowers, or Helianthus annuus, are a fascinating subject from a mathematical perspective. The center of a sunflower consists of many florets, which develop into seeds. Each floret grows at an angle of approximately 137.5° from the next floret. This precise angle is known as the Golden Angle in mathematics. The Golden Angle arrangement allows for optimal seed placement, resulting in a uniform distribution of seeds across the entire flower face, creating a striking spiral pattern. To represent this remarkable natural phenomenon of the Golden Angle found in sunflowers, I have used 23k gold leaf to gild the reverse side of each image. This artistic technique serves to emphasize the significance of this phenomenon and highlights the intricate patterns found in nature. During the 2023 summer and fall seasons, I visited local farmer's markets and small flower farms to search for sunflowers. Each image I captured depicts a different sunflower. I created my Golden Sunflowers mandalas through a specialized photographic technique using the camera's multiple exposure mode. To do this, I placed the flower on a rotating platform. I photographed it at 8-14 equidistant positions until I completed a 360-degree rotation, resulting in each mandala being a multiple exposure of 8-14 images created in-camera.  After converting my original color images to black and white, I printed them on translucent Japanese Kozo paper. I then gilded the reverse side with 23k gold leaf, added a layer of archival varnish, and applied two coats of cold wax. The image gains a subtle luminosity and depth from the gold leaf, while the cold wax enhances these effects and protects the surface.