Islamic Fractal Star and Flower

This sculpture in two parts explores the same fractal Islamic pattern in two directions, inward and outward. The pattern is theoretically infinite in either direction, but the width of the bands limits the shapes to just a few levels of recursion.

By constructing the star and flower at identical scales and with identical band widths, I invite the viewer's eyes to move seamlessly between the two shapes, noticing the alignments and variations between the two. In particular, an identical ring of eight rosettes appears near the outside of the star and around the central rosette of the flower.

Look long enough and you will see shapes emerging at all different sizes and angles – squares, octagons, and stars, to name a few.