The complex geometry of Islamic design - Eric Broug

00:05:06
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg1NpMmPv48

Summary

TLDRThe video highlights the pervasive use of geometry in Islamic culture, tracing its origins to the 8th century CE, when craftsmen creatively adapted Roman and Persian motifs. This period marked a golden age of Islamic culture, characterized by significant advancements in science and mathematics. Islamic art employs intricate geometric patterns created from simple tools like a compass and ruler, utilizing principles of symmetry and tessellation. The video illustrates how patterns can be derived from circles divided into equal parts and emphasizes the role of an underlying grid in maintaining design accuracy. Overall, it showcases the rich tradition of creating visually stunning and complex geometric designs that continue to inspire.

Takeaways

  • 📏 Geometry permeates Islamic culture from mosques to homes.
  • 🛠️ Simple tools like compass and ruler create complex designs.
  • 🔄 Patterns are derived from circles split into equal segments.
  • ⭐ Symmetry is classified into fourfold, fivefold, and sixfold categories.
  • 🟦 Underlying grids are essential for accurate pattern creation.
  • 🔺 Tessellation allows for infinite design possibilities.
  • 🎨 The tradition bridges scientific and artistic innovation.
  • 🕌 Patterns featured in historical sites like Alhambra and Agra.
  • 🔄 Pentagonal tessellation is complex and requires additional shapes.
  • 🧩 Islamic geometric design isn't just about shapes but also artistic intuition.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:06

    Islamic culture showcases geometry in various structures like mosques and palaces, reflecting a rich artistic tradition that began in the 8th century CE. Craftsmen innovatively blended motifs from Roman and Persian cultures, resulting in advancements in science and mathematics, along with the sophisticated use of complex geometry in art. Patterns created from simple tools such as compasses and rulers exhibit a wide range of designs, highlighting the complexity of Islamic art despite its simplicity in tools used. Each geometric pattern is initiated with a circle divided into equal sections, dictating the symmetry and number of elements in the design. Additional techniques involve using underlying grids for scale and pattern accuracy, allowing for a diverse array of repeating patterns through tessellation. Examples of patterns derived from different divisions of circles illustrate the endless possibilities in design, encompassing fourfold, fivefold, and sixfold patterns, each presenting unique challenges and methods of tessellation. This long-standing tradition continues to inspire creativity and showcases the balance between complexity and simplicity in geometric designs.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • When did the tradition of geometry in Islamic art begin?

    The tradition began in the 8th century CE.

  • What tools are used to create geometric patterns?

    A compass to draw circles and a ruler to make lines.

  • What is tessellation?

    Tessellation is the process of creating a pattern by repeating a design over a surface.

  • What types of symmetry are found in Islamic geometric patterns?

    Patterns typically exhibit fourfold, fivefold, or sixfold symmetry.

  • Are patterns in Islamic art complex?

    While they appear complex, they can be created with simple geometric tools.

  • What historical cultures influenced Islamic geometric design?

    Roman and Persian cultures influenced the development of Islamic geometric design.

  • Can pentagonal shapes tessellate neatly?

    No, pentagonal shapes do not fill a surface neatly, making them more complex to tessellate.

  • What is the role of the underlying grid in pattern design?

    The grid helps maintain accuracy and scale, facilitating the invention of new patterns.

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  • 00:00:06
    In Islamic culture, geometry is everywhere.
  • 00:00:10
    You can find it in mosques, madrasas, palaces and private homes.
  • 00:00:16
    This tradition began in the 8th century CE during the early history of Islam,
  • 00:00:22
    when craftsmen took preexisting motifs from Roman and Persian cultures
  • 00:00:26
    and developed them into new forms of visual expression.
  • 00:00:31
    This period of history was a golden age of Islamic culture,
  • 00:00:35
    during which many achievements of previous civilizations
  • 00:00:38
    were preserved and further developed,
  • 00:00:40
    resulting in fundamental advancements in scientific study and mathematics.
  • 00:00:46
    Accompanying this was an increasingly sophisticated use of abstraction
  • 00:00:50
    and complex geometry in Islamic art,
  • 00:00:53
    from intricate floral motifs adorning carpets and textiles,
  • 00:00:57
    to patterns of tilework that seemed to repeat infinitely,
  • 00:01:01
    inspiring wonder and contemplation of eternal order.
  • 00:01:06
    Despite the remarkable complexity of these designs,
  • 00:01:09
    they can be created with just a compass to draw circles
  • 00:01:12
    and a ruler to make lines within them.
  • 00:01:14
    And from these simple tools emerges a kaleidoscope multiplicity of patterns.
  • 00:01:20
    So how does that work?
  • 00:01:22
    Well, everything starts with a circle.
  • 00:01:25
    The first major decision is how will you divide it up?
  • 00:01:28
    Most patterns split the circle into four, five or six equal sections.
  • 00:01:34
    And each division gives rise to distinctive patterns.
  • 00:01:37
    There's an easy way to determine whether any pattern is based on fourfold,
  • 00:01:41
    fivefold,
  • 00:01:43
    or sixfold symmetry.
  • 00:01:45
    Most contain stars surrounded by petal shapes.
  • 00:01:48
    Counting the number of rays on a starburst,
  • 00:01:51
    or the number of petals around it,
  • 00:01:53
    tells us what category the pattern falls into.
  • 00:01:56
    A star with six rays, or surrounded by six petals,
  • 00:02:00
    belongs in the sixfold category.
  • 00:02:03
    One with eight petals is part of the fourfold category, and so on.
  • 00:02:08
    There's another secret ingredient in these designs:
  • 00:02:11
    an underlying grid.
  • 00:02:13
    Invisible, but essential to every pattern,
  • 00:02:16
    the grid helps determine the scale of the composition before work begins,
  • 00:02:21
    keeps the pattern accurate,
  • 00:02:22
    and facilitates the invention of incredible new patterns.
  • 00:02:26
    Let's look at an example of how these elements come together.
  • 00:02:30
    We'll start with a circle within a square, and divide it into eight equal parts.
  • 00:02:35
    We can then draw a pair of criss-crossing lines
  • 00:02:39
    and overlay them with another two.
  • 00:02:41
    These lines are called construction lines,
  • 00:02:44
    and by choosing a set of their segments,
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    we'll form the basis of our repeating pattern.
  • 00:02:50
    Many different designs are possible from the same construction lines
  • 00:02:54
    just by picking different segments.
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    And the full pattern finally emerges
  • 00:02:59
    when we create a grid with many repetitions of this one tile
  • 00:03:04
    in a process called tessellation.
  • 00:03:07
    By choosing a different set of construction lines,
  • 00:03:09
    we might have created this pattern,
  • 00:03:12
    or this one.
  • 00:03:14
    The possibilities are virtually endless.
  • 00:03:17
    We can follow the same steps to create sixfold patterns
  • 00:03:21
    by drawing construction lines over a circle divided into six parts,
  • 00:03:25
    and then tessellating it, we can make something like this.
  • 00:03:29
    Here's another sixfold pattern that has appeared across the centuries
  • 00:03:33
    and all over the Islamic world,
  • 00:03:35
    including Marrakesh, Agra, Konya and the Alhambra.
  • 00:03:41
    Fourfold patterns fit in a square grid, and sixfold patterns in a hexagonal grid.
  • 00:03:49
    Fivefold patterns, however, are more challenging to tessellate
  • 00:03:53
    because pentagons don't neatly fill a surface,
  • 00:03:57
    so instead of just creating a pattern in a pentagon,
  • 00:04:00
    other shapes have to be added to make something that is repeatable,
  • 00:04:04
    resulting in patterns that may seem confoundingly complex,
  • 00:04:08
    but are still relatively simple to create.
  • 00:04:11
    Also, tessellation is not constrained to simple geometric shapes,
  • 00:04:16
    as M.C. Escher's work demonstrates.
  • 00:04:19
    And while the Islamic geometric design tradition
  • 00:04:22
    doesn't tend to employ elements like fish and faces,
  • 00:04:25
    it does sometimes make use of multiple shapes to craft complex patterns.
  • 00:04:31
    This more than 1,000-year-old tradition has wielded basic geometry
  • 00:04:36
    to produce works that are intricate, decorative and pleasing to the eye.
  • 00:04:41
    And these craftsmen prove just how much is possible
  • 00:04:44
    with some artistic intuition, creativity, dedication and a great compass and ruler.
Tags
  • Islamic culture
  • geometry
  • tessellation
  • patterns
  • symmetry
  • art
  • craftsmanship
  • historical influence
  • creativity
  • design