A SPARK OF INSpiRATION
It is truly fascinating to see how seven simple shapes can be assembled to create a singular figure of greater complexity. It is even more extraordinary to watch these same seven shapes rearrange themselves into thousands of more singular configurations. Each figure completely unique yet a composite of the same creative building blocks.
I first learned about tangrams in 2016 when my then third-grade teacher, Ms.Wiegand, challenged my classmates and me to construct a square using all of seven given pieces. Ever since that day, I have been intrigued by the many varied configurations that can be created from the very same set of geometrical shapes.
Tangrams are as artistic as they are mathematical. They are as creative and imaginative as they are rote and methodical. And for that, they have transcended centuries of culture and have intrigued generations of minds.
I like math AND I like art. People always want to know if I am going to be a scientist or an artist. I still have not decided. Maybe one or the other... neither..., or both...!
I hope you enjoy the second issue of
- Rowan Parkinson
INSpiREzine!