Islamic+Art_+Recognizing+Geometric+Ideas+in+Art+(Powermath)

= = Islamic Art: Recognizing Geometric Ideas in Art toc Janey Levy

**Standards**
Students in grade seven study the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia in the years A.D. 500–1789. After reviewing the ancient world and the ways in which archaeologists and historians uncover the past, students study the history and geography of great civilizations that were developing concurrently throughout the world during medieval and early modern times. They examine the growing economic interaction among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities. They learn about the resulting growth of Enlightenment philosophy and the new examination of the concepts of reason and authority, the natural rights of human beings and the divine right of kings, experimentalism in science, and the dogma of belief. Finally, students assess the political forces let loose by the Enlightenment, particularly the rise of democratic ideas, and they learn about the continuing influence of these ideas in the world today. ||
 * **Subject** **:** History & Social Science ||
 * **Grade** **:** Grade Seven ||
 * **Area** **:** World History and Geography: Medieval and Early Modern Times
 * **Sub-Strand 7.2****:** Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of Islam in the Middle Ages. ||
 * **Standard 1****:** Identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies of land and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life. ||
 * **Standard 2****:** Trace the origins of Islam and the life and teachings of Muhammad, including Islamic teachings on the connection with Judaism and Christianity. ||
 * **Standard 3****:** Explain the significance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law, and their influence in Muslims’ daily life. ||
 * **Standard 4****:** Discuss the expansion of Muslim rule through military conquests and treaties, emphasizing the cultural blending within Muslim civilization and the spread and acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language. ||
 * **Standard 5****:** Describe the growth of cities and the establishment of trade routes among Asia, Africa, and Europe, the products and inventions that traveled along these routes (e.g., spices, textiles, paper, steel, new crops), and the role of merchants in Arab society. ||
 * **Standard 6****:** Understand the intellectual exchanges among Muslim scholars of Eurasia and Africa and the contributions Muslim scholars made to later civilizations in the areas of science, geography, mathematics, philosophy, medicine, art, and literature. ||

Key Terms
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Summary
According to Levy (2005), Islamic art is based on math, written language, and the belief that 'God is beautiful and loves beauty.' Islam was first established in 600 A.D. by the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Since that time, a new art based upon language, math, and religion sprung from the culture and was implemented in pottery, manuscripts, buildings, and more. Probably the most unique aspect of Islamic art is it's ability to imitate life through math.

Key Terms
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Summary
Levy (2005) says, "... geometry plays a vital role in art. It has its own special purpose and meaning." This can be summed up by saying that the interlocking polygons, which include 6, 8, 10, or 12 pointed stars. The art becomes a uniform pattern that represents the diversity of life.

Key Terms
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Summary
In Islamic art, the circle and square is used to create a variety of equilateral polygons including: equilateral triangles, hexagons, stars, and octagons. This is done by drawing a square with in a circle. The intersecting points can then be connected in a variety of ways. Doing so when multiple rotated squares results in more complex patterns. These patterns will resemble shapes in nature such as a honey comb or even the cells of some plants. To make a more complex image, the intersecting points can be copied and plotted outside the circle at equal distances from the center. The lines of the square can be extended to meet these points and a line can be added at this point to connect to another extended line of a square. See figure 3 on page 10.

The same can be done for circles. Starting with a circle additional circles can be added that lay tangent in the center. The resulting diagram within the original circle resembles a floral pattern.

Pages 12 and 13 show real life applications.

Key Terms
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Summary
Imagine the shape of a tortilla, a pie, or pizza. In your mind, cut the shape down its center into two halves. Are the two halves the same? Yes, because the food item or rather the shape has symmetry and the cut you made would be the line of reflection. If you made the cut from top to bottom or from left to right, no matter which way you would have two equal halves. Other shapes have symmetry too, in fact all the shapes of Islamic art have symmetry. Depending on the shape lines of symmetry may range from just one to infinite amounts. This symmetry represents the symmetry we find in our own bodies and the rest of nature. We have two arms and legs with each on opposite sides of each other. In our case, we have one line of symmetry, but a starfish can have more.

The Idea of symmetry is very important and Islamic Art achieves this principle in its shapes and patterns. On page 16, one can see the patterns with a line of reflection overlay. Part of what makes patterns able to have symmetry is tessellation.

Tessellation occurs when a shape can share opposing vertices or sides of another shape. When this is achieved the pattern can be replicated endlessly. An example of a tessellation of 2 hexagons and 2 equilateral triangles is shown on page 19. The same occurs between 2 octagons and 1 square on page 20, and 2 six-pointed stars and 2 hexagons on page 21.

Key Terms
//Circumferencemedia type="file" key="89af284a70c7a83329b292314defb1e1.wav" width="47" height="3"//

Summary
You can make your own art! In this chapter, one can follow directions to make equilateral polygons and stars within themselves. The next set of instructions will show how to make shapes and eight-pointed starts. The final set of instructions on page 28, will show you how to make a floral pattern composed of circles. Try it!

Key Terms
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Summary
Math has further implications than just being a subject to be taught. As has been seen math was used extensively in Islamic art. The heavy use of circles and squares was not limited to Islam though. Levy contests that Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism saw circles as symbols of the sacred realm and squares as those of the physical realm. Math was also implemented by architects of the Renaissance to find ratios that were appealing.

**Additional Practice**

 * 1) Try to identify tessellation and symmetry in these images. You can also draw your own lines of symmetry in whatever image manipulation software you like.
 * 2) Create your own Geometric design using the final chapter as a guide or make a tessellation of your own using pages 19, 20, and 21 as guides.
 * 3) With a partner combine your two patterns. Make sure to have a line of reflection in your image.

Images
All images are taken from @http://www.dreamstime.com/, a distinguished leader in stock photography and a major supplier of high quality digital images. All stock images available are provided by Dreamstime community's photographers, shot on film or digital and approved by editors.
 * [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/islamic-art-and-architecture-thumb2591188.jpg align="center" caption="Circles and Stars are prevalent in this pattern"]] || [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/architecture-background-of-islamic-cairo-thumb12067279.jpg align="center" caption="These doors display symmetry"]] ||
 * [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/old-islamic-architecture-thumb19989055.jpg align="center" caption="In these windows, one can see the use of circles and squares"]] || [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/islamic-art-and-architecture-thumb2591073.jpg align="center" caption="The repeating pattern is an example of Tesselation"]] ||
 * [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/islamic-art-and-architecture-alhambra-in-granada-thumb7846778.jpg align="center" caption="These arches are composed of interlocking shapes"]] || [[image:http://www.dreamstime.com/islamic-architecture-thumb15083819.jpg align="center" caption="Even in stair rails, art could be seen"]] ||