Bisttram stated that he used Dynamic Symmetry in all of his works. Dynamic Symmetry is a system of picture composition developed by Jay Hambidge. Hambidge, however, did not claim to have invented the system, but rather that he rediscovered the system used by the ancients. Many of Bisttram’s drawings show his use of Dynamic Symmetry. The system is based on the square, with all of the rectangles used in Dynamic Symmetry being built on the square, or derived from the square. To demonstrate how he used the golden section rectangle, Bisttram drew the lines of the golden section rectangle over photographs of drawings of “Silence,” 1929, and “Metropolis,” 1929.
Here is a link to the lecture I gave on dynamic symmetry at the Texas A&M University on October 22, 2021 in conjunction with the exhibition “Southwest Abstractions by Emil Bisttram from the Ladd Collection.”
You might want to watch the lecture I gave the night before first as it gives more general background on Bisttram. I gave this lecture October 21, 2021 at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum where the exhibition is on view through March 19, 2022.
Southwest Abstractions by Emil Bisttram from the Ladd Collection