Patterns, Design and Symmetry
The Patterns, Design and Symmetry course was first given
in Fall 1997. It was given again in Fall 1998 - see
the end of these notes - and will be given next
in Fall 2000 (Art 3395).
The focus of the course is on the concept of Symmetry and its role
in design. The course emphasizes a
geometric rather than an algebraic approach to symmetry.
Concepts are illustrated using transparencies of various patterns occurring in
Architecture, textiles, interior design, biology, etc.
The course includes a section
on symmetries of bounded figures including
rotational and reflectional symmetry.
Symmetries of wheels provide
an inexhaustible supply of examples...
Material is included on solids including
the construction of
Archimedean polyhedra and the non-Archimedean stellated polyhedra.
Much of the course is spent working on planar
patterns, both one and two color (the wallpaper patterns).
Example patterns are generated using the software
package prism (© Michael Field, 1996).
A central part of the course is the use of the computer.
Using prism, students are encouraged to
design and color their own patterns. The software allows generation of
a wide range of patterns including all of the 46 2-color wallpaper patterns.
In Sping 2000, we will use the new Mathematics computer Lab. In
past years, we have used both a specialized lab in the Art Department as
well as the NSM Multimedia Classroom.
Below, we show one image created during the 1997 course
by Elizabeth Taylor (a student)
and myself. The image is of a square quilt pattern generated
using ideas of symmetric chaos. A high resolution
representation of the image may be seen in the Art Department Office
at UH. Click on the image to enlarge but note that the enlarged image
is quite big (over 300K).
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A detail of the quilt.
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The course was last given in Fall, 1998. For a selection of some
of the students' work, go to the Patterns, Symmetry and
Design web site.
Return to Mike Field's home page.
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