DA VINCI'S UMBILICUS

DAVINCI BELIEVED IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UMBILICUS

The umbilicus is also used to visually separate the abdomen into quadrants. The navel comes in the center of the circle enclosing the spread-eagle figure in Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, his famous drawing on human proportions. This illustrates the principle that in the shift between the spread-eagle pose and the straight pose, the apparent center of the figure seems to move, but in reality, the navel of the figure, which is the true center of gravity, remains motionless.

The height at which navels are located on the abdomen is variable. An ideal proportion of navel height versus body height is said to be based on the Golden Section, also known as the "Divine Proportion" by philosophers and artists. This is a geometric proportion in which a line is divided so that the ratio of the length of the longer line segment to the length of the entire line is equal to the ratio of the length of the shorter line segment to the length of the longer line segment. This Golden Section ratio has a numerical value of approximately 1.618. In other words, an ideal navel height is about 62% of the body height and is said to exhibit special beauty as the legs and torso appear in sound proportion.

UMBILICI WANTED

EXHIBITION UPDATES CAN BE FOUND HERE SOON.

UMBILICI WANTED

YOU CAN BE A PART OF A SCULPTURE

1. Clear navel of belly button rings and excessive hair.

2. Find a place where you can lay on your back comfortably for half an hour. Make sure a clock is present. You may want to be in front of the television.

3. Prepare exactly ½ cup of hot water from a sink faucet.

4. Open the small container of Vaseline and massage it in and around your navel with circular motions. Cover an area just larger than the diameter of PVC pipe provided.

5. Pour hot water into baggie of plaster powder and reseal the bag. Massage the baggie and mix the water into the plaster until it is evenly mixed. Mix for one full minute.

6. Find your comfortable place and lay on your back. Take the pvc pipe that we will be using as a casting flask, and center it on your navel creating a seal against your skin on the bottom.

7. While holding pressure down on the flask, empty the liquid plaster into the top, nearly filling the pipe flask.

8. Continue to hold pressure down on the flask to prevent a leak at bottom. Have your back flat on the floor to level plaster and try to get comfortable.

9. Lay still as plaster sets up. It will probably take 25 minutes depending on the temperature of your water. You can test the hardness with your free hand during the drying process.

10. After plaster hardens, in about 25 minutes, remove from stomach and check out your creation.

11. Please do not discard plastic bag and container. Place all contents in bag with your navel casting and return to address provided below for recycling.

To return your packet and casting by mail, use address below:

BRADY HATTER
wichita StatE University
1845 Fairmont St.
Campus Box 67
Wichita, KS 67260

You may also return in person to WSU sculpture department at Henrion Hall, main gym, in box provided by Brady hatter's Studio.

Please fill out the biographical data below to complete the artistic study of your navel.

BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

FULL NAME: ____________________________________________ AGE: ______ SEX:_____ HEIGHT:________ WEIGHT:________ BIRTHDAY:____/____/____ WHERE WERE YOU BORN:______________________ MEASURE DISTANCE FROM NAVEL TO FLOOR IN INCHES:_________ DO YOU HAVE AN INNIE OR OUTIE? _______________ HOW MANY BROTHERS AND SISTERS DO YOU HAVE TOTAL? _______ DO YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENTS? ________ RATE THE RELATIONSHIP ON A 1-10 SCALE MOTHER- HATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ADORE

FATHER- HATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ADORE Write a short sentence describing a lasting memory of your mother. Good or bad. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation. Please provide your email address if you would like to be contacted with details of the final exhibition. Email address:___________________________________________________ email: bradyhatter@gmail.com with any comments or questions.