Exhibit
Geometry and the Art of Islam
The study of Islamic Art is ideal for a unified interdisciplinary experience in art and mathematics. It can lead to a greater understanding of artistic and cultural concepts. Islamic Art relies heavily on key concepts in mathematics: geometry, symmetry and pattern. Patterns that appear to be complex and intricate can be analyzed to identify a fundamental unit that can be rotated, reflected and translated. Students learn the underlying geometric framework and create their own patterns using GeometerÂ’s Sketchpad, the modern equivalent of a compass and straightedge.
This exhibit features geometric artwork produced by students in two Honors courses taught by Mathematics Professor Anne Burns. The course analyzed the geometric principles present in examples of Islamic Art and then used those principles to create their own patterns.
Place : Main Lobby, B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library, Long Island University, Post Campus
