Visuelle Kommunikation / MASTER / WITH A SPECIALIZATION IN VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND ICONIC RESEARCH

“Art that we add to art” is the definition proposed by Trilling regarding ornament. An ornament constitutes of a motif; a visual element that is either placed alone or in a repeated pattern. Ornament has been in existence in different cultures since the palaeolithic era. Because of its abundant use, it comes in various shapes, styles and colours influenced by time, place, religion and traditions. Upon observing Islamic ornament, we can see that it manifests itself in two forms; geometric and arabesque have a unified aesthetic where their role is to highlight calligraphy (text).
Taking writing iconographically while keeping legibility in consideration, this thesis questions the semantic and ornamental use of Arabic letters. This body of work is an exploration of synthesising ornament with letters; two different forms of visuals used and applied in relation to complement each-other, in an attempt at provid¬ing a second perspective to ornaments.