Artist statement, Kepler’s Cosmic Geometry
In an effort to determine the distances between planets in our solar system the great German astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) determined that the planetary intervals are defined by the relationship between the five regular geometric solids.
In ancient geometry the regular solids held a special, almost sacred significance. Of particular interest to Kepler was their association with the four elements: the cube with Earth, tetrahedron with Fire, cctahedron with Air, icosahedron with Water as well as the dodecahedron’s association with the heavens. The intention was to demonstrate that these geometrical forms were building blocks in creation.
It is said that Kepler was seeking to discover the divinely instituted harmony that pervades the universe and binds its diverse parts into a concordant whole.