A Passion for Pattern

Fenik, Melissa

Savannah, Georgia: Savannah College of Art and Design

2018-06

Thesis (M.F.A.) -- Illustration

Savannah College of Art and Design -- Department of Illustration

Bibliography: pages 41-42

"When I set out to complete a series of work for graduate school, I turned to my cultural heritage as a source of inspiration. Turkish patterns have always intrigued me throughout my life. Herein is my exploration of surface design and what lead me to create my final work. With a rich history of decorative arts, I decided to focus on two types of imagery: animal and floral. The two eras in which I base my research are the Seljuk Dynasty, where visuals are driven by tribal instincts and depict imagery of various animals. Secondly, the Ottoman Era in which there is an appreciation for the nature, resulting in the explosion of floral imagery. We explore the meaning behind selected motifs, specifically those represented on tile arts. After an extensive gathering of motifs and an urge to keep the art of my culture relevant in the modern world, I create a body of work containing three collections of patterns: each exhibiting animal and floral combinations while focusing on specific illustration markets, henceforth marrying my passion with industry.'

Keywords: surface design, patterns, illustration, Turkish art, Seljuk, Ottoman era, floral motifs, animal motifs, symbolism, pattern collection

CHAIR: Warner-Constantino, Linda

Lieberman, Julie

Berkheiser, Megan E.

English

Illustration

Text

PDF : 42 pages, illustrations (chiefly color), maps

Copyright is retained by the authors or artists of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.