Ark. Brunilda Basha
Understanding the Islamic art is directly related to understanding the message of the religion, as well as the aesthetic use of the various elements which serve to the Divine purpose. Through the works of Muslim masters and artists throughout the time, since Islam was proclaimed as a religion, various forms of Islamic aesthetics have emerged such as: arabesques, calligraphy, florals, geometric shapes and many other elements. All these art forms aimed to convey the philosophy of faith, the worldview of life and the rational thought of creation and, not infrequently, serving as a catalyst to push man into spiritual introspection over the meaning and the connection of ‘Creator-Creation’.
For 13 centuries, decoration has been a connecting element between buildings and objects from all over the Islamic world – from Spain to China, from Turkey to Indonesia. Dalu Jones, in his essay on “Decorative Elements: Surface, Pattern and Light”, states that Islamic Art should be considered in its entirety, because every building and object embodies somewhat identical principles, although the art in each building differs in style, idea, shape or design; having its own individuality. Visual ornaments or decorations, aside from walls and ceilings, are also present in carpets, pillows, dishes, furniture, and beyond. It is interesting that regardless of geographical position, whether the Mosque of Cordoba or the schools of Samarkand, the same light and the same Islamic art shines in every work of art.
This is thanks to a key principle of Islamic art, the Unity. This is the primary concept of that art, as stated by many scholars who have explored Islamic art. It all starts with “tawheed” – Oneness. The main principle of Islam is the Oneness of God and his worship. Man, by his nature, often seeks a corner, place or building to be alone, to pray to God, so the physical representation of this environment is very important and essential. This kind of unity is then applied to every art form, as well as to reflect the unity of the cosmos, of the world around us. Every form or figure, if we look at it from the perspective of symbolic meaning, reflects a value and principle within the framework of Universal harmony.
Another important concept is that of the Eternity, which is related to the Infinity of God. The elements of art, which start from a point expanding in all directions, invite to meditation, reflection and amazement. Plato says: “Beauty is the splendor of the truth” and in Islam, beauty is quite objective as it expresses the immutable truth, the Divine. This principle, as Oleg Grabar puts it, equips his observer with considerable freedom. He can choose the point of view and the angle he wants to look at that model, just as he can get lost in the details. He can pick a single motif and pursue it in a triangle or consider its variations in a dozen triangles. He may ask for component models or for effects of light and shadow.
In the Islamic faith, it is not permissible for prayers or worships to be performed by addressing to statues, figures or any other being than God. At the same time, drawings of animal or human faces are forbidden, so the concept of abstraction was a creative way of expressing the inner feelings of Muslim artists and architects.
Two other principles are: Rhythm and Symmetry. According to Etikan, S. the decorations involve many regular shapes repeated in regular rhythm. Although they do not draw contours, they are located within circles which turn into polygons. Motifs with more circles and other polygons are also created at the intersections of those shapes. Symmetry is also a very present element in many buildings. This was present in the facades or architectural plans, as well as in the decorations. For example, we can mention the symmetry of the Al-Mustansiriya school in Iraq or the floral ornaments of the Alhambra palace.
Source:
Burckhardt,Titus, 2009, “Art of Islam, Language and Meaning”, Commemorative Edition, World Wisdom
Dalu Jones, 1978 , “The elements of decoration : surface, pattern and light”, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
Etikan Sema (2011), “The Principles of Ornament in Islamic art and effects of these Principles on the Turkich Carpet Art”, Religion and Science Publications, Vol. 3(2), PP. 87-95.
Hillenbrand, Robert, 1998, “Islamic art and architecture”, London: Thames and Hudson
Jeanan Shafiq, 2014, “Architectural Elements in Islamic Ornamentation: New Vision in Contemporary Islamic Art,” Arts and Design Studies, Vol. 21
Oleg Grabar, (1973), “The Formation of Islamic Art”, Yale University Press
Valérie Gonzalez, 2001, “Beauty and Islam. Aesthetics in Islamic Art and Architecture.”, I.B.Tauris Publishers, London
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