"Dylan Thomas: Coast Salish artist" (Thomas & Schattschneider, 2011)
This was quite an interesting read with two contributors: Dylan Thomas, a Coast Salish Indigenous artist based in British Columbia, and Doris Schattschneider, a mathematician based at Moravian College (USA). The artist recounts the making of his multiple artworks, which show a keen eye for symmetry as he draws inspiration from his cultural background and cross-cultural artistic traditions, while the mathematician highlights the geometric elements of his work. Thomas first gained an interest in “mathematical art” in Grade 11, when he was introduced to the works of M. C. Escher, the Dutch graphic artist inspired by the symmetries of the Alhambra (p. 203). Thomas later worked under the apprenticeship of the First Nations artist Rande Cook, which helped him develop his focus on Salish art (p. 201). The article also contextualizes his artwork against the backdrop of colonial loss of art and artists, followed by a revival in the mid-twentieth century (p. 199).
To give an idea of how each author is engaged in this piece, consider the following passage where Thomas describes one of his artworks (Horizon): “Horizon expresses my feeling that the spiritual and physical worlds are not separate. Horizons have sometimes been viewed as where the heavens meet the earth” (p. 207).
The co-author describes another of Thomas’s works (Eagles Housepost) in the following terms: “In Eagles Housepost, the artist uses elements of three different symmetries. At the centre is a circle with a design resembling a face; this design has mirror symmetry and anchors the whole print. Eagle heads sprout from this circle pointing in opposite directions; they are related to each other by a rotation of 180 degrees about the centre of the central circle. Each of these heads, in turn, rotates about the centre of a white oval to produce two additional eagle heads at the top and bottom of the print. The primarily blue circles at the top and bottom of the print are related by a glide reflection. The combination of these various local symmetries produces a pleasing design that has no overall symmetry” (p. 205).
Stop 1: I found the piece particularly interesting because a few years ago I dabbled with traditional geometric designs in Muslim artistic traditions - such as those found in carpets, tiles, architecture, and other forms - though I only worked with paper based designs, sort of learning to appreciate the depth and complexity of these designs.
Stop 2: The spiritual background and inspiration in Thomas’s artwork also reminded me of S. Hossein Nasr’s book, Islamic Art and Spirituality. Nasr is one of the most prominent philosophers who discusses the deeper spiritual dimensions of various traditional art forms. Symmetry, for instance, is not merely a mathematical observation (mathematics understood in a narrow sense) but deeply metaphysical. In Muslim artwork, that metaphysics informs how for instance geometric gride/design extends from the center toward limitless horizons - a feature that can be observed in traditional carpet designs of the masters.
It is interesting that the co-author of the present piece (Schattschneider) chose to focus primarily on the quantitative/symmetrical/technical/outward-aesthetic aspects of the art in the contemporary mathematical/aesthetic sense, rather than adopting the more holistic approach of traditional art (as Thomas did), which would have been illuminating regarding the qualitative (or qualia) aspects of the technical details. But the two contributors perhaps understood this and complemented each other in this co-authored work to combine the technical and holistic aspects.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflections, Aun. What stood out to me is how clearly you articulate the tension between mathematical analysis and spiritual or cultural meaning. Your comparison to Islamic art is especially interesting, as it highlights how symmetry can function as a way of understanding the world, not just as a formal structure.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Schattschneider’s contribution focuses mainly on observable geometric features, I think this limitation may actually be productive. Placing her analysis alongside Thomas’s reflections shows both what mathematics can explain about the artwork and what it cannot and thus, invites readers to reflect on what mathematics can illuminate in art, and what remains beyond its reach.
Hi Aun, thanks for your reflection! I appreciated how you tied Thomas & Schattschneider's work to other readings and to your own experiences with Muslim artistic traditions. Geometry is a mathematical topic that seems especially well-suited for cross-cultural connections, and it was interesting to consider how geometric patterns and symmetry can carry very different meanings across cultural and spiritual contexts.
ReplyDeleteReadings like this feel particularly important because they give visibility to mathematical ideas and ways of knowing that have often been overlooked or dismissed. In light of colonial histories, recognizing indigenous art as a sophisticated knowledge system, rather than measuring it against classroom mathematical norms, helps broaden our understanding of what mathematics can be and where it can be found.
Another very interesting connection: Schattschneider and Coxeter were the two mathematicians who paid attention to MC Escher’s letters and ‘discovered’/ supported him as a mathematical artist!
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