1. Tessellation “Tessellation” comes from the old Latin word “tessella”, which means “small square” or “tile”.

2. Tessellations Were created thousands of years ago Were created thousands of years ago People from all around the world have been making tessellations for centuries People from all around the world have been making tessellations for centuries 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia Designs to decorate floors Designs to decorate floors Pebbles to clay mosaic tiles Pebbles to clay mosaic tiles

3. Tessellations Mosques and castles Mosques and castles La Alhambra= castle built in Granada, Spain, in the 1300’s La Alhambra= castle built in Granada, Spain, in the 1300’s Almost every surface of the Alhambra is covered with tessellation designs made from clay mosaic tiles Almost every surface of the Alhambra is covered with tessellation designs made from clay mosaic tiles

4. La Alhambra

5. Alhambra

7. North America Homes of early settlers Homes of early settlers Tessellations covering the beds Tessellations covering the beds Reusing fabric, shapes of cloth were pieced and sewn to create quilts Reusing fabric, shapes of cloth were pieced and sewn to create quilts

8. Quilts

9. M.C. Escher Maurits Cornelius Escher Maurits Cornelius Escher “Father of modern tessellation” “Father of modern tessellation” Born in the Netherlands Born in the Netherlands June 17, 1898 June 17, 1898Self-Portrait1920 Lithograph on grey paper

10. M.C. Escher Excelled at drawing Excelled at drawing Studied architecture Studied architecture Switched to Decorative Arts, studying drawing and printmaking Switched to Decorative Arts, studying drawing and printmaking Hand with Reflecting Sphere (Self-Portrait in Spherical Mirror) 1935 ; lithograph

11. M.C. Escher Travelled to Italy and Spain Travelled to Italy and Spain Visited La Alhambra in 1922 Visited La Alhambra in 1922 Returned home and began making his own tessellated designs of fish, birds and other objects Returned home and began making his own tessellated designs of fish, birds and other objects His understanding of mathematical ideas helped him create different kinds of tessellations with complex designs His understanding of mathematical ideas helped him create different kinds of tessellations with complex designs

12. Tessellation from La Alhambra; Granada, Spain

13. Tessellations by M.C. Escher

18. http://www.mcescher.com/

20. M.C. Escher During his life, he became obsessed with filling a surface (or “plane”) with shapes that did not overlap or leave spaces. Aged 68, he stated, "Filling the plane has become a real mania to which I have become addicted and from which I sometimes find it hard to tear myself away." During his life, he became obsessed with filling a surface (or “plane”) with shapes that did not overlap or leave spaces. Aged 68, he stated, "Filling the plane has become a real mania to which I have become addicted and from which I sometimes find it hard to tear myself away." Retrieved October 17,2008, from http://www.tessellations.org/tess-escher1.htm

22. Magic Mirror; 1946 lithograph

23. Drawing Hands; 1948 lithograph

24. Relativity; 1953 lithograph

25. Ascending and Descending; 1960, lithograph

26. printed from 33 blocks on 6 combined sheets Retrieved from http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/gallery-recogn.htm M.C. Escher & Tessellation