About Ornament & Pattern Art
Leaves, flowers, animals and geometric shapes can become elements of a visual system. Symmetry, spacing and the relationship between foreground and ground affect its rhythm. A pattern can be highly ordered while still allowing small changes to sustain attention.
Similar motifs appear in different places and periods without necessarily sharing one meaning or origin. Explore the source design and its documented use, and distinguish a historical pattern from a later arrangement inspired by its forms.
