ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to establish a link between the referential process and the creative representation of the spiral as a symbol that derives from a fantasy plan common to different times and cultures. It is possible to find in different places of the world several archaeological references, from the Neolithic to Ancient Greece, from Brazil to Malta, etc., a common denominator that cannot be ignored. Its cultural expression can start from experiences in non-ordinary states of consciousness such as the shamanistic dimension of certain tribes, but can also be present in the popular and decorative expression of various non-industrial artefacts. In the artistic dimension, we will highlight some examples of contemporary artists who have been sensitive to this Spiral theme. Their inspiration was guided by images of the unconscious and by the golden ratio or certain visual harmonies that depart from mimetic references in nature. In any case, these works of art refer more to a natural and symbolic aesthetics than to the rational use attributed to them.