Muslim mosques are rich with geometric ornamentation called Zillij. These patterns reflect basic Islamic beliefs as well as mathematical truths. Muslims see these patterns as being “discovered rather than created.”
Look at photographs of mosques and other Islamic art. Study the patterns of the tiles in wall and floor mosaics. What do you notice about these arrangements? The designs are endlessly repeating in elaborate complexity.Looking at the whole, you see no center but rather an even, total, and unending aesthetic.
Islamic designs convey spirituality without iconography (drawings and statues). Although they are intense and brilliant in color and design, they are impersonal and anonymous. Nowhere do you see the artist’s hand, only the pure form and color.
Islamic artwork is not made using random, free-choice designs, but is drawn within the constraints of symmetry and the laws of proportion. The basic component is a simple shape, repeated in patterns following bilateral or radial symmetry. Are you ready for the challenge of discovering these designs?
From the Crayola website: http://www.crayola.com/educators/lesson_plans/printer.cfm?id=686
Good website resources for Islamic Art
A student from Curtis High School talks about her experience in the art room of her school and her religion.
