Materials and Process

• Construction paper
• Exacto knife

1. Cutting

Artist's Narrative

I cut out a symmetrical frieze (border) pattern using glide reflection, translation, and symmetry-breaking in the design.

Teacher's Comment

While a single long axis of glide reflection is evident in each quadrant of the border, notice the interesting uses of symmetry-breaking at the corners. The transition from horizontal to vertical in border patterns was a challenge faced by Islamic artisans in many media; it is especially evident in the borders of carpets. Only in the highest levels of commercial and court manufacture is the transition from horizontal to vertical smoothly achieved; elsewhere it is always expressed through symmetry-breaking.