Unfolding Rhythms

Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant, Brantford, Ontario

Permanent Collection

abstract design

cut natural stone on wood board

26.75 x 42.9 inches

1980

framed

Catalogue No: TNYIL-106

Materials: natural river pebbles and stones gathered from the Tagliamento River in Fiume, Northern Italy. This river brings glacial stone debris down from the Alps to the Adriatic Sea. It is a shallow, fast-moving stream with icy water at all times of the year.

Context: Nyilasi spent the fall of 1980 in Europe refining his skills with mosaic masters.

He gathered these stones during a day trip while he was on an extended stay with Italian mosaic artists in Spilimbergo, Italy.

Nyilasi always took his mosaic hammer with him on his excursions, and when he tested the river stones on site, they cut easily into regular forms which revealed wonderful shades of uniform colour.

He created this mosaic in memory of his wonderful experiences in Northern Italy and to explore a type of stone he had not worked with before.

Artistic Notes: “Unfolding Rhythms” is a formal composition exploring the unfurling of sea shells, which is based on organic principles of development. This was coined “the golden ratio” by Martin Ohm (1792–1872), who was the first person to use the term “golden” to describe this. In 1815, he published “Die reine Elementar-Mathematik” (Pure Elementary Mathematics) about this phenomeneon in natural growth and its use in art compositions. Artists also call it “using golden section ratios”. It is achieved by the use of a math compass.

As a student, Nyilasi had been thrilled to learn about the “golden section” at the Ontario College of Art, and he even made a class project about it. It caught his imagination, and he noticed its principles at work in leaves, tree growth, and natural anatomical ratios. It stayed in his imagination as a great natural wonder all his life.

This composition is based on unfurling sea shells. The word “unfolding” emphasizes the natural outward spiral of a developing sea shell, and suggests movement, development. This becomes a “rhythm” as Nyilasi repeats the image in the composition to build up dynamic movement.

This work has elegance and great richness. Due to its subtle shades, it does not dominate any environment in which it is displayed.