Art, Symmetry, and History

Middle school art students are studying mandalas. Mandalas, used in many types of religious art, employ the use of radial symmetry, where all sides of a circular image are the same if it is divided along its axis. In Christian art, mandalas are often used in stained glass windows like the rose windows found in Gothic architecture. The students developed a design that would be 1/4 of their image. They then transferred it on to a linoleum block. Using carving tools, they carved a block print. The blocks were inked and used to print their complete mandalas.