Lesson7.7 Translation Tessellations Islamic artis:s are the masters of tessellation. The Greek Pythagoreans. who felt that “numbers ruled the universe.” were an imporant influence on Islamic thought. The I: artists, thereZore, were not only trained in geometry, but their philosophy <:w mathematics as essential in understand the universe. The artists expressed this philosophy in art. The Alkzmbra, a thirteenth century Moorish palace in Granada, Spzin, is one of the finest examples of the precise mathematics: art of Islam that exists today. In 1936, the Dutch artist M. C. Escher traveled to Spain and became fascinated with the tile pattems of the Alhambra. Escher spent days in the Alhambra sketching the tessellations on the walls and ceilings. One of his sketches is shown above. Escher writes on tessellations, “This is the richest source of inspiration that I have ever tapped. ...” But Escher did not limit himself to pure geometric tessellations as did the Islamic artists. Escher writes: ‘What a pity it was that Islam forbade the making of “images”... I find this restriction all the more unacceptable because itis the recognizability of the com:ponents of my own pattems that is the reason for my never ceasing interest in this domain. Escher spen: many years earning how 10 use translations, rotations, and reflections ca a grid of equilateral triangles, regular hexagons, c parallelograms llations of birds, fish, reptiles, and humans, On: striki example is Escher's translation :2ssellation design used in a tile mural for the Liberal Christian Lyceum, in The Hague, Netherlands. In this lesson you will lear to create your own tessell:cions of recognizable shapes. Untitled work by M. C. Escher, 1960 2198S MLC. Esces Heirs / ‘An ~ Baam ~ Holand osians 5 i i i 2 :‘The four steps demonstrate how Escher may have created his “Pegasus-type” tessellation. Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 ‘The simplest way to create a non-polygonal tessellation is by changing the opposite sides of a square or parallelogram tessellation, The steps below show how Robert Caneve, a geometry student, created Leap Frog. Leap Frog, Robert Canete, Geomenry student Step 1: Stat with one square from a tessellation of squares (although any parallelogram will work with this method). Connect one side AB of the square with a curve, call it AB (curve AB). Step 2: Place wacing paper or clear plastic over 4B and copy it with a felt ip pen onto the tracing paper or clear plastic. Place the copy beneath the original and slide it so that the endpoints of AB line up with the endpoint of CD. Retrace the curve on the original so that it now connects with the endpoint of CD. Step 2 Step 3+ Repeat this process with a curve conneczing _ points A and D, That is, connect one side AD of the square with a curve, call it AD. Step 3Step 4. Step 5 Copy AD ome tracing paper or clear plastic and transfer it across to ‘When completed, trace the entire Figure onto the tracing paper or clear plastic and move it to the next square. Trace the entire figure onto the next square. Fill the grid of squares with your figure. You have created a non-polygonal translation tessellation. Step 5 Dog Prints Gary Murakami Geometry student