FULL-DROP
Aligned horizontal and vertical rows.
PRINCIPLE 05 · REPEAT SYSTEM
Pattern.
An organized system in which a motif or unit repeats according to a rule.
To analyze a pattern, identify what repeats, locate the repeat unit, and describe the transformation or placement rule that extends it.
Pattern is the repeat structure. Rhythm is the pace. A fixed tiling can establish pattern without a strong sense of pace; recurrence with changing interval or accent can create rhythm.
CONTROLLED DEMONSTRATION 01
Motif becomes module; module becomes field.
The boundary is visible here so the generating rule can be inspected. In a finished pattern, that boundary may become difficult to notice.
CONTROLLED DEMONSTRATION 02
One motif; six organizing rules.
The black L-shaped motif stays constant. Placement and transformation change.
HALF-DROP
Alternate columns offset by half a unit.
BRICK
Alternate rows offset by half a unit.
ROTATION
The motif turns around repeated centers.
REFLECTION
Alternating motifs mirror across an axis.
RADIAL
Units repeat around a shared center.
CONTROLLED DEMONSTRATION 03
A seamless repeat must agree at its edges.
When a motif crosses one tile edge, the corresponding fragment must continue from the opposite edge after translation.
DISTINCTION · PATTERN / RHYTHM
Rule and pace answer different questions.
First identify the repeat system. Then ask how interval, accent, or progression affects pace.
MANIPULATE · REPEAT BUILDER
Change the rule; keep the motif.
The L-shaped motif stays fixed. Compare placement and transformation systems, reveal the tile boundary, and introduce one controlled interruption only after the rule is legible.
Current rule: full-drop translation; rows and columns align. Tile boundaries are visible.
VOCABULARY
Name the repeating system.
Identify the motif, the bounded unit, and the transformation that extends it.
- Motif
- A recurring visual form or theme.
- Repeat unit
- The bounded module that generates a pattern.
- Tessellation
- A covering of a plane without gaps or overlaps.
- Full-drop
- A repeat aligned in horizontal and vertical rows.
- Half-drop / brick
- A repeat offset by a fraction of the unit.
- Reflection / rotation
- Transformations that mirror or turn a motif.
- Interruption
- A deliberate break in an established system.
ANALYZE · MODULE AND CONTINUITY
Tile Panel
Begin with observable structure. Seven hexagonal tiles remain visible as physical modules, while cobalt and turquoise stems, leaves, blossoms, and medallions continue across their boundaries.
- Locate one hexagonal repeat unit.
- Which motifs are centered within a tile, and which cross an edge?
- How do matching edge fragments make the seven modules read as a connected field?
Rights: the Met identifies the work and image as Public Domain and provides it through Open Access.
View the official Met object recordCHECK UNDERSTANDING
What repeats, and by what rule?
Is every repeated arrangement a tessellation?
No. A tessellation specifically covers a plane without gaps or overlaps.
Can a pattern include variation?
Yes. Variation or interruption becomes legible because an underlying repeat rule has already been established.
What distinguishes pattern from rhythm?
Pattern identifies the repeat structure. Rhythm describes the pace created through recurrence, interval, accent, or progression.
CONNECT