(PSTA) Project One: Arabesque Design – form and symmetry/Project Two: Geometry of Structure

Project Leads: Jonathan Horning, Simon Trethewey and Amber Khokhar

Number of participants:  16

Duration: 4 days

Project Outline:

Project One Arabesque Design – form and symmetry (2 Days)
Exploring new insights into biomorphic principles within nature and interpreting the variety of the vegetal world to inspire personal development in art and design.
An introduction to the geometric analysis of biomorphic principles and the structure of arabesque design from the world of traditional arts, this will lead to translation of motifs and their application to ceramic plates.

Project Two Geometry of Structure (2 Days)
A point of departure for artists and designers to establish a fresh awareness of structure underlying ‘order in nature’, as the basis to inspire future work in their own fields.
An introduction to Platonic and Archimedean solids through 3D model- making and drawing exercises, this will lead to the exploration of spatial systems founded in the natural world.

Timetable:

Arabesque Design
Day 1
AM: Welcome/Introductions and talk
Geometrical analysis of flowers and observational work from nature
PM: Analysis and development of arabesque design

Day 2
AM: Finishing the design drawing
PM: Under glaze painting onto plate

Geometry of Structure
Day 1
AM: Welcome/Introductions and talk
Simple stick models
PM: Stick models constructing Platonic and Archimedean solids and space frames

Day 2
AM: Drawing nets for plain model making.
PM: Constructing card models of various types of polyhedral

Two groups to swap classes