Contributing text by Professor Paul Marchant about the artist’s ‘Platonic Solid Duals series’ written for the 6th Marrakech Biennale.
The meaning of the word ‘Geometry’ is not limited to the dictionary definition of ‘earth measure’. Traditionally it refers to the central law that accords to the essential rhythm of the universe; it is the source of harmony, balance, beauty, proportion and is the reflection of the true aspect of all phenomena manifested in nature.
The study of geometry is based on springs from ancient civilizations including those of China, India, Africa and Greece. Their practices, in the context of the highest and innermost aspirations of civilization combine the three aspects: wisdom, courage and compassion expressed as physical skill, social understanding, cultural endeavour and spiritual awareness.
A very important handing on of knowledge enabling the contemporary practice of traditional geometry is the transmission of Pythagorean philosophy and teaching of ancient Greece based on sacred number. This tradition is further interpreted in Quadrivium of Plato’s Academy, which taught: arithmetic (number), geometry (number in space), harmony or music (number in time) and astronomy (number in space and time); these are universal languages that underlie all the world’s great traditions.
The scholar Seyyed Nasr describes the relation of the Greek and Islamic traditions as follows: ‘…There is within Islamic spirituality a special link with qualitative mathematics in the Pythagorean sense, a link which results from the emphasis upon unity and the intellect (al-‘aql) on the one hand and the primordial nature of Islamic spirituality on the other. It is not that Islam borrowed from the spiritual significance of mathematics from Pythagoras, Plato or Nicomachus. These ancient sages provided providentially a sacred science which Islam could easily assimilate into its world view. The truth is that there was already in the Islamic world view before its encounter with Greek science what one might call an ‘Abrahamic Pythagoreanism…’ Seyyed H. Nasr, Islamic Art & Spirituality
Geometry is made up of timeless archetypes: point, line, plane, regular polygon, regular polyhedra etc. These are essential elements that form the basis of the study of traditional geometry and encompass: the language of pattern, composition, structure and architectural proportion. The rigorous task of the student of geometry is to deepen their knowledge of the subject; to develop their ability to analyse its grammar and structure. Using the analogy of learning a language, the student must be able to: identify letterforms, understand the meaning of words, construct sentences, write paragraphs and compose a dissertation. They are responsible for the translation of what might be termed the Creative Principle into art design, architecture etc.
At the heart of geometry lies the circle, symbol of unity and the infinite ‘whole’ and mother of all shapes and forms. If the Creative Principle can be symbolised by a point then the relation of various beings to it as Pure Being, is like innumerable points on the circumference drawn about a centre of a circle; their relation to the centre is like that of the various radii from the circumference to its centre. The cosmos can be visualised as the circle, each part of it lies on the circumference which is a ‘reflection of the centre’ with each part connected directly to the centre by a radius, which symbolises its relationship to the Creative Principle.
Thomas Merton gives a fresh insight to the relevance of traditional creativity: “…Tradition is not passive submission to the obsessions of former generations, but a living assent to a current of uninterrupted vitality. What was once real, in other times and places, becomes real in us today. And its reality is not an official parade of externals. It is a living spirit marked by freedom and by certain originality. Fidelity to tradition does not mean the renunciation of all initiative, but a new initiative that is faithful to a certain spirit of freedom and of vision which demands to be incarnated in a new and unique situation…” Thomas Merton, Contemplation in a World of Action
The artist on view has achieved a fine series of very accomplished works in the field of geometric arts inspired by the greatest exemplars of Islamic art. However they are not copies but fresh interpretations informed by hard won discipline and effort to achieve a great depth of understanding of traditional geometry, requiring synthesis of: knowledge, technical skill and enthusiasm to develop awareness of its spiritual dimension.
Paul Marchant