INSTITUTE OF
ARAB & ISLAMIC ART
IAIA Lecture: Islamic Geometric Patterns: Innovation and Praxis November 30, 2023
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The Institute of Arab and Islamic Art will inaugurate its new series of Islamic art workshops and lectures with a free 1.5-hour public lecture given by Jay Bonner at 7:00pm on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at the IAIA center in Manhattan
This lecture will focus upon the remarkable geometric diversity found within the tradition of Islamic geometric design. Since the ninth century CE, Muslim cultures have placed great artistic emphasis in developing a sophisticated geometric aesthetic as exemplified in the wide range of geometric patterns found in Islamic architecture, the book arts, and applied arts. Jay Bonner will demonstrate many of the ingenious geometric innovations and design methodologies responsible for this extraordinary artistic tradition. What is more, this lecture will show how the same methodological practices that were employed by Muslim geometric artists of the past can be used by today’s artists to create original new patterns that adhere to traditional aesthetic standards, including designs that conform to several modern mathematical concepts such as aperiodicity, quasi-crystallinity, and self-similarity. Such continued innovation provides this artform with tremendous agency and vitality for contemporary artists and designers.
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Time:
7:30pm on Thursday, November 30, 2023
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Location:​
Institute of Arab and Islamic Art
22 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
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Please RSVP by: November 28, 2023
Jay Bonner – Brief Biography
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Jay Bonner is an internationally recognized specialist of Islamic geometric patterns and an ornamental design consultant for Islamic architectural projects throughout the world, including al-Masjid al-Haram (the Grand Mosque) in Mecca, and the expansion of al-Masjid an-Nawabi (the Prophet’s Mosque) in Medina. He has lectured and taught Islamic geometric design workshops at many universities and conferences in North America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. With his lectures, teaching, and publications, Jay Bonner expresses his commitment to the revitalization of Islamic geometric design by focusing upon traditional methodological practices. Jay Bonner is also an author and has published multiple peer-reviewed academic papers. At 595 pages with over 100 photographs and over 500 illustrations, his book Islamic Geometric Patterns; their Historical Development and Traditional Methods of Construction (Springer 2017) is an important contribution to the better understanding of this fascinating subject. Other resources are available at https://www.bonner.design/