A World of Patterns

When talking about designs, patterns are of major concern. Walking into my room, one can find on my wall sheet coverings of a repetitive pattern, the carpet is a pattern, my bed sheet is a pattern, the floor tiles are a pattern, everything is a pattern. According to my room, it appears as though the general consumer enjoys repetition and symmetry. But why is their such an abundance of patterns in our society? We are a society that enjoys traditional beauty. I guess patterns are almost predictable. Maybe we don't like things to be too inconsistent.


(http://www.sunna.info/souwar/data/media/6/islam11.jpg)



(http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20070224/f8196_6249.jpg)


While looking up floor tiles, wall coverings, fabric prints, and genral ornamentation, I found most items to have a symmetrical and to be in a pattern. By my 10th page of google images I found much of it to be quite boring. However, when I looked up Islamic Architecture, I once again found interst in patterns. Perhaps it is because I am not as used to the colorful Islamic patterns, but I did find it to be quite beautiful. The patterns produced a magnificent, endless effect that would make building look grander and larger than they truely are. Perhaps the best way to summarize Islamic architecture said by Grube:

"Its effect is extraordinary and its function quite unmistakable. It goes hand in hand with the non-directional plan, the tendency to an infinite repetition of individual units (bays, arches, columns, passages, courtyards, doorways, cupolas) and the continuous merging of spaces without any specific direction or any specific center or focus. And if a definite spatial limit is reached, such as a terminal wall, the surface that should stop the progress of anyone moving through the building will be decorated with patterns that repeat themselves, leading on visually beyond the given limit of the wall, surface, vault or dome (http://www.islamicart.com/main/architecture/intro.html)."

These patterns were often found in important buildings, but it really helped add to its grandeur. While patterns can sometimes be too repetative and familair in our society, I was able to find Islamic patterns to be able to capture my interest.

(http://www.travel-earth.com/iran/isfahan-imam-night.jpg)