As Lois Lamya al-Faruqi explains:
Rather than taking nature itself or natural phenomena as his theme-–or as his vehicle for expression-–and then decorating them with beautifying addendum the Arab artist has made his goal that of expressing himself through the manipulation of abstract and stylized motifs. From these he creates compositions conveying a sense of never-ending design. Even if he utilizes figural motifs, they are treated in ways which deny their individuality, their personality or their naturalness. Ornamentation for the Arab artist, therefore, is not an addendum, a superfluous or extractable element in his art. It is the very material from which his infinite patterns are made.
(Quoted from page 143 of Beauty in Arab Culture, by Doris Behrens-Abouseif. Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998.)
For a brief biography of Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, click here. For images of or relating to Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, click here.
For a brief biography of Doris Behrens-Abouseif, click here. For images of or relating to Doris Behrens-Abouseif, click here.
Rather than taking nature itself or natural phenomena as his theme-–or as his vehicle for expression-–and then decorating them with beautifying addendum the Arab artist has made his goal that of expressing himself through the manipulation of abstract and stylized motifs. From these he creates compositions conveying a sense of never-ending design. Even if he utilizes figural motifs, they are treated in ways which deny their individuality, their personality or their naturalness. Ornamentation for the Arab artist, therefore, is not an addendum, a superfluous or extractable element in his art. It is the very material from which his infinite patterns are made.
(Quoted from page 143 of Beauty in Arab Culture, by Doris Behrens-Abouseif. Markus Wiener Publishers, 1998.)
For a brief biography of Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, click here. For images of or relating to Lois Lamya al-Faruqi, click here.
For a brief biography of Doris Behrens-Abouseif, click here. For images of or relating to Doris Behrens-Abouseif, click here.
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