This project explores the highly mathematical world of Islamic geometric patterns.
Islamic design is one of the world's great artistic traditions, but not much is known about the methods used by artisans in centuries past to construct them. One of the first attempts to formalize the geometry behind Islamic patterns was E.H. Hankin's seminal 1908 paper "Polygons in Contact", which remains a key technique today. Our project combines the approach described by Hankin with transformations of designs found at real-world historical sites.
Two Mathematicians avoids traditional ornamentation and colouring. It seeks to find beauty in the geometry of the patterns themselves, embellishing only with subtle combinations of basic line and dot shapes. Its two archetypes contrast the precision and order found in Islamic patterns with the informality of a rough draft. In that, it reflects the personalities of its creators, alternating between the obsessive need for order and exactness, and the embrace of just winging it.
Controls:
- Zoom in or out with scroll wheel, or arrow up/down.
- Press 'i' to see the underlying structure.
features
Tipsy
49.33% (148) have this trait
Full
66.67% (200) have this trait
Light
90.67% (272) have this trait
Orange
14.67% (44) have this trait
Hexagons in Contact (1 edge)
32.00% (96) have this trait
Yes
90.67% (272) have this trait
No
69.00% (207) have this trait
No
92.00% (276) have this trait
No
96.33% (289) have this trait
Dots
22.33% (67) have this trait
Lines
4.67% (14) have this trait