5

Dried Sea Urchin

There is something to the number 5. Apart from us having 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot, the number 5 is mathematically very interesting. It features in both the prime number list and the Fibonacci sequence for example. Then there is the ancient notion of the "fifth element" or "quintessence"...

But the number 5 also quite often appears in nature. Look at the sea urchin for example. Or starfish. Or leaves. Or flowers... as is examined in an interesting article by Japanese mathematician Yutaka Nishiyama.

The above picture is of the inside of a dried sea urchin. Beautiful esthetics here. To me, the star shape evokes a sense of unsurpassed freedom, expansion and scope. The number 5 gives rise to near endless architectural possibilities or morphological varieties.

Very often, I find the number 5 appearing in my art as well... a piece of music consisting of 5 parts for example, or using 5 distinct classes of sonic material. And in technical terms, I usually describe my art (both the sonic and visual) as an interaction and unfolding of 5 core elements: Entities, Realms, Perspectives, Transformations and Resonances.

Last but not least, my son is 5 years old now, an age at which a child starts showing him or herself in very outspoken ways.. 

In other words: Gimme Five!