Design Insight - PENROSE Collection
The PENROSE Collection reinterprets traditional patterns of the Middle East often seen in elaborated mosaics and tilling features. Most of the geometric ornaments are guided by invisible grids. These grids determine where and how the characteristic lines are mirrored, respectively change directions, and are crucial to reach high complexity in geometric ornaments.
English mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose (born 1931) investigated aperiodic tiling in the 1970s and developed the theory thereof. Thus, this special form of tiling is named after him. Interestingly, Roger Penrose supposedly inspired Dutch graphic artist and mathematician M.C. Escher to his works of impossible constructions.
Various studies of Islamic tiling and ornaments unveiled that the artists knew the laws of Penrose centuries earlier and used it as an invisible grid to create their patterns. Our PENROSE design makes the invisible grid visible; it uses the principle behind the decorative ornaments and develops it to an ornament itself by materializing it and applying it to a filigree disk.
An interesting side effect appears when having two of these shells on top of each other: the two patterns intersect visually and create harmonious graphics of higher complexity. These interferences are called Moiré effect. Our designer, André C. Meyerhans, understands this phenomenon as a possible way to create contemporary, Arabic patterns.
The simplicity of the design, the theme, opens the door wide for variations. Not only comes this design in four different sizes, it plays with the geometry by using the rhomb shape as gemstone setting, develops it into sculptural objects by distorting and superimposes bold graphic designs to infuse it with the pop-art ideology.
Explore Design Insights of other collections which are
Inspired by culture
MASHRABIYA, DIAMOND, CUT, PROTECTIVE EYE
Inspired by nature
GOLDFLAKE, CUSHION, LOTUS, ROSE, DROP
Inspired by art