The Golden Ratio in Abstract Structure: Analyzing Unconscious Mathematical Division in Chung Sang-hwa's Dansaekhwa Works
Jan 31, 2026
The Korean art movement known as Dansaekhwa (monochrome painting) often appears deceptively simple. Masters like Chung Sang-hwa dedicate their practice to repetition, meditative process, and monochromatic fields, creating surfaces that seem to defy rigid structure. Yet, beneath the textural complexity, a profound mathematical harmony often emerges. We are exploring the fascinating proposition that Chung Sang-hwa, through his intensely physical and unconscious artistic methodology, consistently arrived at compositions governed by one of the universe’s most satisfying constants: the Golden Ratio (Phi).
Table of Contents
- The Process of Absence and Presence: Chung’s Embodied Geometry
- Mathematical Echoes in Monochromatic Fields
- Intuition as the Golden Spiral: Subconscious Division in Abstract Art
Key Takeaways
- Unconscious Division: Chung Sang-hwa likely achieved the Golden Ratio in his canvases not through calculation, but through the intrinsic, repetitive rhythm of his physical process.
- Embodied Practice: Dansaekhwa emphasizes the duration of the artistic act (scraping, folding, filling), creating a structural balance that is felt rather than measured.
- Phi in Abstraction: The placement of key structural elements and textural shifts in Chung’s grid often aligns precisely with the Golden Ratio (~1.618:1), suggesting a universal aesthetic preference.
The Process of Absence and Presence: Chung’s Embodied Geometry
Unlike Western abstract expressionists focused on spontaneous gesture, Chung Sang-hwa’s method is one of rigorous, controlled subtraction and addition. His technique involves layering paint, allowing it to dry, and then methodically removing segments of the canvas surface—often by folding the support and peeling the paint—before meticulously filling the resulting void. This cycle of presence (paint application) and absence (removal) creates a complex, tiled, or grid-like topography.
The significance of this process lies in its duration. Each decision—where to fold, how wide the resulting gap, and how deep to fill the recess—is not based on a geometric ruler but on years of practiced intuition. This intuition, researchers suggest, taps into an evolutionary preference for visual harmony. When a human hand is asked to divide a space into two unequal but pleasing segments, the resulting proportion often approximates the Golden Ratio (a line divided into parts where the ratio of the larger part to the smaller part is the same as the ratio of the whole line to the larger part).
Chung's work, therefore, becomes a record of these intuitive, rhythmic divisions, embedding mathematical perfection into the very texture of the monochrome field.
Mathematical Echoes in Monochromatic Fields
The Golden Ratio, often represented by the Greek letter Phi (Φ ≈ 1.618), has historically been a tool of deliberate perfection, used consciously in Greek architecture (the Parthenon) and Renaissance painting (Da Vinci). In Chung Sang-hwa’s work, we must analyze the ratio's presence differently. Since the works lack traditional focal points, we look at the division of structural space—the major textural shifts or boundaries within the grid.
In many of his large-scale pieces, the overall composition adheres strikingly to Golden Ratio proportions, particularly the placement of the central structural weight or the boundary between areas of high versus low relief. This adherence suggests that the grid itself—born from the repetitive, almost meditative act—is subconsciously aligned with Phi. The artist's focus is on the act of painting, but the outcome reflects the universal laws of balance.
To understand the difference, consider the following comparison between calculated geometry and embodied geometry:
| Characteristic | Deliberate Golden Ratio (e.g., Renaissance) | Intuitive Golden Ratio (Chung Sang-hwa) |
|---|---|---|
| Methodology | A priori calculation, based on compass and ruler. | A posteriori emergence, based on physical repetition and intuition. |
| Focus | Idealized narrative, figure placement, and formal framing. | The textural field, the process of division and filling. |
| Goal | Visual perfection and symbolic divine proportion. | Spiritual and aesthetic balance through embodied labor. |
| Canvas Appearance | Clear geometric structure underlying imagery. | Meticulous grid and subtle proportional shifts within monochrome. |
Intuition as the Golden Spiral: Subconscious Division in Abstract Art
Why do artists gravitate toward these proportions without calculating them? The theory of "embodied cognition" suggests that our bodies, which are full of fractal and Fibonacci-sequence patterning (from the cochlea to the branching of blood vessels), naturally favor ratios that reflect these inherent structures. When Chung is engaged in his deep, repetitive process—a state akin to meditation—the body's inherent preference for harmonic division takes over.
His use of the grid, typically associated with strict measurement, is paradoxically a means of freeing intuition. By setting up the initial constraints of the canvas, the subsequent divisions are dictated by the flow of physical labor and the eye's immediate judgment of balance. The resulting geometric structure is not rigid but elastic, possessing a visual breath that is universally pleasing.
Chung Sang-hwa’s Dansaekhwa thus provides compelling evidence that the Golden Ratio is not merely a rule for calculating classical beauty but is fundamentally woven into the fabric of unconscious human aesthetic judgment, proving that mathematical perfection can be reached through the most abstract and process-oriented art forms.
How Art-O-Rama Fits In
At Art-O-Rama, we believe that understanding art requires bridging historical context with underlying mathematical and psychological principles. Our curated selection of products celebrates the masters who either deliberately constructed their art using sacred geometry (from ancient Zapotec architects to modernist designers) or, like Chung Sang-hwa, intuitively tapped into universal constants through abstraction and repetition. We provide the historical context necessary to appreciate how the simple acts of creation—the line, the color, the division—can embody deep, complex universal laws.
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This piece celebrates early cinema's reliance on precise, geometric structure and innovative visual design, much like Chung’s underlying grid work.
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Linking the meditative or altered mental states—represented here by the Bohemian era—to the emergence of profound, structured creativity, similar to Dansaekhwa's deep focus.
Conclusion
Chung Sang-hwa’s Dansaekhwa works offer a powerful synthesis of Eastern philosophy and Western mathematics. By committing to a ritualistic, physical process of layering and negation, he allows the universal constant of the Golden Ratio to manifest unconsciously. His abstract structures are not random; they are deeply felt and perfectly balanced, confirming that the most satisfying geometry is often found when the mind is quiet and the hand is simply working.
