Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #141: Geometry

29Mar
by Oh, the Places We See
Blue quilt with colorful stars

Hidden within the architecture of material existence are the geometric forms, the building blocks which make life possible as we know it.

Simple Quantum Living

Simply stated, geometry is everywhere. So finding examples for Patti’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week meant that searching wasn’t the difficult thing . . . it was selecting. Everywhere we looked, there was geometry — in some form or fashion.

First, circles and lines dominate the front of this cabin in Elkmont, a once-glorious summer resort in the Great Smoky Mountains where families reunited year after year.

Cabin porch at Elkmont, Great Smoky Mtns.
Circles and lines of a cabin in Elkmont inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Second, shopping for rugs in Morocco meant looking for geometry below our feet as well as along the walls. From the tiniest details to the largest shapes, geometry dominated the market and the rug industry as a whole.

Moroccan rug, Marrakech
In rows and squares, geometric shapes fill this oversized rug shown in a Marrakech showroom.
Colorful Moroccan rug
Colorful geometric figures in this Moroccan rug livened up the room where tourists from California learned the art of rugmaking.

Temples, too, feature geometric shapes as tiny, colorful pieces of ceramic form intricate designs.

Tile mosaic, Fes, Morocco
Geometric designs on a temple in Fes.

In addition, quilts rely on geometry as tiny shapes combine to form various patterns and eye-catching designs.

Double Wedding Ring Quilt
Circular shapes in this Double Wedding Ring Quilt were on exhibit at Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2015.
Vivid fabrics by Kaffe Fassett liven up a traditional quilt pattern.
Vivid fabrics by Kaffe Fassett form diamond shapes, a variation of a traditional quilt pattern.

Finally, sunrise looks even more dramatic coming through the dramatic geometric lines of the Pawleys Island Pier.

Pawleys Island Pier at sunrise
Sunrise through the lines of Pawleys Island Pier in South Carolina.

Where there is matter, there is geometry.

Johannes Kepler

For more examples of geometry enhancing life, check out Patti’s blog and click on the entries uploaded at the end. Then keep your eyes open — geometry is all around.

Travel linear,

Rusha & Bert

28 thoughts on “Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #141: Geometry”

  1. Pingback: The 146th Playful Math Education Blog Carnival | Find the Factors

  2. CompassAndCamera

    Rusha! What a FABULOUS post! You’ve shared so many beautiful examples. The Moroccan rug is a showstopper. Did you bring it home? Hope you and Bert are enjoying the weekend!

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks, Tina. I’m in love with fine quilts and even the not-so-fine ones. In fact, the Gee’s Bend quilts from Alabama are some of my favorites with their hand-sewn, innocent appeal. Thanks for taking a look!

      Reply

  8. pattimoed

    Wow, Rusha. A great collection. I keep going back to the women from California shot with the vivid rug in the background. And your quilts…a great idea and perfect for the challenge. You’re the first person to include them this week. A great idea.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much. Those women from California were in my tour group. We were all part of a week-long cooking school group on a shopping expedition. Those ladies had several rugs shipped home!

      Reply

  11. Anonymous

    Peggy just stretched a beautiful dragon quilt out on our library floor. Lots of geometry. 🙂 Enjoyed your photos, Rusha. Thanks. –Curt

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      I’m fascinated by quilt patterns, and the more we travel the more they pop up. I don’t know when many of these patterns began, but I’ve seen them in Indian relics, old Moroccan buildings, mosaics in ancient Greek ruins, etc. So, they’re some of the oldest patterns in the world, I suppose. Thanks for taking a look. Maybe you need a quilted backpack for your next excursion!

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much. I love quilts, and I’m now making little baby quilts to donate to Project Linus. I’m smitten with their geometry as well as the combinations of colors. Appreciate your comments — happy spring!

      Reply

      1. RobbyeFaye

        Oh, that is so neat!
        I’ve always enjoyed quilts. I used to hand sew them with my grandmother when I was little. The geometry and combination of colors are awesome!
        Have a happy spring, too.

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      That’s the best I like best as well. And I’d give anything to go rug shopping in Morocco again — that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me! Geometry is definitely everywhere, and it’s fun to see what we can find when we look for it!

      Reply

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