Term for images with rotational symmetry?

October 28, 2004 10:01 AM

Is there a concise, google-able term for an image of this variety [Detail 1, 2]? 'Wedge-shaped drawing that is tessellated into a circle to give the appearance of one unbroken, repeating image' isn't doing the job. More background inside.

This image is from a poster that was sold by a band called Elevator to Hell, whom I had an unhealthy taste for in my younger days. They put similar tesselations on many of their LP and 7" labels as well. I'm looking for other examples of this admittedly pretty limited subset of... er... tessellated drawings.

A humorous aside: "Stoner art," while definitely fitting, is not the term I'm looking for. Interestingly enough, a google image search for "stoner art" brings up one 'close but no cigar' example, and points me towards these two websites, which are nothing if not entertaining.

posted by adamkempa to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

hyperbolic tessellation, maybe?
posted by weston at 10:29 AM on October 28, 2004

Hmm, 'mandala' might be used as a descriptor for this kind of thing, appropriately or not.
posted by picea at 12:04 PM on October 28, 2004

The analogous veneer inlay pattern is called a sunburst. I don't know whether or not anyone refers to drawings by that name.
posted by Galvatron at 12:06 PM on October 28, 2004

you might have luck trying "art nouveau" and "psychedelic art" and "60s poster art" in google.
posted by amberglow at 12:09 PM on October 28, 2004

kaleidoscopically reflected art?
posted by zadcat at 12:11 PM on October 28, 2004

mandala?
posted by Capn at 12:11 PM on October 28, 2004

Response by poster: Ah! Mandala appears to be the best answer so far (appropriate or not). Thanks everyone!
posted by adamkempa at 12:20 PM on October 28, 2004

radial symmetry?
posted by bashos_frog at 12:08 AM on October 29, 2004

Escher?
posted by ed\26h at 2:30 AM on October 29, 2004