THE ARTISTIC FEATURES OF REPETITION IN DECORATIVE UNITS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ DRAWINGS

Abstract

Islamic decorative arts constitute an essential part of the meanings of religious belief. Repetition serves as a foundational principle in these arts, as it represents one of the core values in constructing decorative compositions, expressing movement, and enhancing the aesthetic qualities of form through the formal relationships within the design space of the decorative artwork. As an aesthetic pattern, repetition distinguishes Islamic ornamentation from other art forms. It relies on artistic treatments of the design space through repeated decorative elements, guiding us to understand what lies beyond the apparent decorative form and enabling us to perceive the latent potential embedded within symbolic shapes, thus bestowing upon them a magical spirit not found in other arts.Repetition, as one of the essential processes in decorative design, requires that students be fully aware of its types and its relationship to the elements of the decorative work. This allows them to understand the nature of the decorative achievement, its methods of execution, and its connections to other systems within the educational lesson.The research population consisted of (247) drawings created by secondary school students distributed across schools in the central district of Hilla/Babylon. To obtain more accurate results and achieve the objective of the research, the researcher selected four samples and analyzed them using the descriptive-analytical method, which focuses on observing and analyzing phenomena to uncover scientific and objective facts due to its precision.

The research included findings and conclusions, the most significant of which are:

• Repetitive structures in decorative spaces rely on activating the mental linkage of the idea within the overall framework of the decorative form.
• Repetitive patterns reveal contemplative readings rooted in the philosophical foundations of Islamic ornamentation.
• The feature of repetition invests its artistic properties through structural treatments within a holistic framework that integrates aesthetic and functional aspects.

The researcher also presented a set of recommendations and suggestions related to the topic.