The Emergence and Evolution of Arabesque as a Multicultural Stylistic Fusion in Islamic Art: the Case of Turkish Architecture

This paper elucidates the emergence and evolution of arabesque with specific reference to the case of arabesque in Turkish art and architecture. It is argued here that arabesque is a fusion of styles rather than a pure and homogenous style. Furthermore, the paper aims to show that although the arabesque style appears to be a fanciful and freely organized manner of artistic treatment it is based on a very complex mathematical logic which is expressed through abstractionism. In this context, the grammar of geometry is elaborately used in the implementation of abstraction. Here, general characteristics as well as different modes or types of arabesque are discussed. Starting with the etymological roots of the term, the history of its use in the literature is explored through the paper. After the inquiry of its material and pragmatic aspects, the development of the arabesque style is evaluated with regard to its transformations that took place along with its injection to Anatolia and mixing with Turkish culture. Finally, the morphological character of this fusion is put forward

Shape exploration in design : formalising and supporting a transformational process

The process of sketching can support the sort of transformational thinking that is seen as essential for the interpretation and reinterpretation of ideas in innovative design. Such transformational thinking, however, is not yet well supported by computer-aided design systems. In this paper, outcomes of experimental investigations into the mechanics of sketching are described, in particular those employed by practising architects and industrial designers as they responded to a series of conceptual design tasks,. Analyses of the experimental data suggest that the interactions of designers with their sketches can be formalised according to a finite number of generalised shape rules. A set of shape rules, formalising the reinterpretation and transformations of shapes, e.g. through deformation or restructuring, are presented. These rules are suggestive of the manipulations that need to be afforded in computational tools intended to support designers in design exploration. Accordingly, the results of the experimental investigations informed the development of a prototype shape synthesis system, and a discussion is presented in which the future requirements of such systems are explored

THE USE OF SMART GEOMTRY IN ISLAMIC PATTERNS A GENERATIVE APPROACH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE ISLAMIC URBAN AREAS

Geometry is an essential design generator in the Islamic architectural style. Islamic styles are distinct for using the art of geometry in their creative designs. In the Islamic designs, geometry represents the order, harmony and beauty in calculations, scale and proportion. It clearly exists in the design of plans, façade, ornaments and patterns. It expresses many concepts of Islam such as the unity and the oneness of Allah, the perfection and the infinity of creation in the universe, the containments and the continuity. The main proportions of the Islamic style depend on the square proportions(ex: Islamic proportion 1:√2 (Williams, 2006), in which the square is the basic module shape that generates the other geometric forms such as the famous Islamic star, octagonal Islamic rose. In addition, square gives the basic axes and symmetry in the main internal spaces such as the Courtyard in the mosques. So far the role of geometry has been fundamentally dependent in which in it contains, regulates and supports the module of the elements. Islamic geometry and proportions are following special shape grammar rules and relations which should be taken into consideration while the design process or the restoration of historical buildings. One can see the Islamic geometry simple in shape but precisely it is composed of a number of complex relations. And when the rules and the relations increase, the complexity in manipulating the geometry manually increases. That requires more time and effort to execute or modify.Therefore, parametric design strategies are employed to aid in solving this complexity.Parametric design develops the geometry to be more related and dependent. Consequently geometry is introduced in a new smart one. In the traditional CAD software’s, if one of the related geometries is deleted or changed, the modeled relationship may be lost. However, Smart geometry, as well as the parametric design, can convert lines, arcs, shapes, solids, and surfaces into a set of algebraic and geometric constraints that could easily generate those patterns according to a specific relations and proportions. Thus, a number of alternatives are presented to use the most suitable solution in a short time

Architectural Elements in Islamic Ornamentation: New Vision in Contemporary Islamic Art

Throughout history, Islamic Ornamentation was the most characteristic to identify Islamic architecture. It used in mosques and other Islamic buildings. Many studies were about the formation of Islamic art from pre-existing traditional elements and about the nature of the power which wrought all those various elements into a unique synthesis. Nobody will deny the unity of Islamic art, despite the differences of time and place. It’s far too evident, whether one contemplates the mosque of Cordoba, the great schools of Samarkand or Al- Mustansiriya. It’s like the same light shone forth from all these works of art. Islam does not prescribe any particular forms of art. It merely restricts the field of expression. Ideology of Islam depends on the fixed and variable principles. Fixed indicate to the main principles of Islam that could not be changed in place and time including the oneness of God, while the variable depends on human vision in different places through time. It's called the intellectual vision inherited in Islamic art. Islamic Ornamentation today is repeating the same forms, by which, it turns to a traditional heritage art. From this specific point the research problem started. Are we able to find different style of ornament that refers to Islamic Art? Islamic ideology in its original meaning is a faculty of timeless realities. Islamic art derives its beauty from wisdom. The aim of this study is to contextualize the concept and analyze the Islamic traditional ornamentation, focusing on the principles of Islamic ideology, which was behind the formation of a distinct identity and uniform architecture in Islamic cities and across time. Second step is about suggesting some of the Islamic architectural elements as new ornamental elements that have the same effect within the limit of Islamic ideology and principles, in order to present new ornamentation elements. Finally applying the new elements in models of artistic paintings as a practical application done by researcher to produce the new vision as a contemporary Islamic ornamentation. Keywords: Islamic Ornamentation, Traditional Islamic Art, Contemporary Art, Islamic Architecture

Connected: An Artist’s Investigation into Digital Communication

The purpose of my thesis was to develop a body of utilitarian ceramic pottery, which examines the internal conflict I have with digital communication and its impact on social interactions. I draw inspiration from historic ceramic artworks for my wheel-thrown and hand-built forms. My traditionally inspired utilitarian forms are ornamented with surface decorations that represent contemporary symbols of the digital age. By doing this I intend to create artworks that allow the viewer to contemplate the evolution of human communication and their own reliance on technological devices. My studio investigations incorporate scholarly research of historic artworks and time periods combined with personal reflections regarding contemporary society’s reliance on digital communication. My written thesis examines my creative process, how my approach to instruction has influenced it, and how my studio investigations have impacted my pedagogical teaching philosophy. The culmination of this project will be a shared graduate art exhibition in the Wallace Anderson Gallery in April

Parametric Iranian-Islamic muqarnas as drivers for design for fabrication and assembly via UAVs: parametric analysis and synthesis of Iranian-Islamic muqarnas.

This study proposes a DfMA (from design to assembly) based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and uses Iranian-Islamic Muqarnas as the case study due to their geometric modularity. In Islamic architecture, different geographic regions are known to have used various design and construction methods of Muqarnas. There are four main specifications of the Muqarnas that define to which category they belong; first, its three-dimensional shape, that provides volume. Secondly, the size of its modules is variable. Third, its specific generative algorithm. And finally, the 2-dimensional pattern plan that is used in the design. First, this study presents thus a global analytical study that drives a generative system to construct Muqarnas, through a careful balance of four specifications. In this second step, the paper reports the result of using a parametric tool, Grasshopper and parametric plugins, for creating a generative system of several types of Muqarnas. This synthetic translation aims at expanding our understanding of parametric analysis and synthesis of traditional architecture, advancing our understanding towards using parametric synthesis towards UAV-based fabrication of Muqarnas, by taking advantage of their inherent repetition and recursion

Pattern, the visual mathematics: A search for logical connections in design through mathematics, science, and multicultural arts

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