Reading 4

 Dylan Thomas: Coast Salish artist

This article will look at the work of the contemporary Coast Salish artist Dylan Thomas, whose artwork combines the best of Indigenous artistic traditions with the concepts of mathematics, such as symmetry and geometry. Although the work of the contemporary Coast Salish artist Dylan Thomas is rooted in the culture of the Pacific Northwest, it also reflects the influence of traditional art forms such as spindle whorls, houseposts, animal art, as well as contemporary artists and the mathematical art of M.C. Escher. It will also look at the way in which the concepts of symmetry, balance, and the interconnectedness of all things in nature are used in the artwork.

Dylan describes how his early exposure to Escher’s tessellations encouraged him to make his own tessellations with traditional Coast Salish imagery, such as salmon and birds. In his artwork, such as "Sacred Cycle" and "Salmon Spirits," he uses symmetry and tessellations to depict traditional cultural concepts such as the life cycle of salmon and the impact of environmental degradation. Dylan’s artwork is not simply decorative but has significance in terms of mentorship, tradition, and the interrelatedness of the physical and spiritual worlds. He uses geometry to arrange his concepts in a way that honors the fluidity and movement characteristic of Salish design.

The article also points out how Dylan has also explored other forms of symmetry, like reflection and complex rotation. In Horizon, symmetry has come to represent the unity between spiritual and physical worlds. In Mandala, he has designed a cross-cultural work that blends Coast Salish style with Buddhist mandalas, demonstrating the potential of art to transcend different cultural worldviews. In later works like Infinity, he has taken the mathematical theme further, using shrinking patterns to illustrate the limitations of human potential and the limitless possibilities in nature.

In all, the article demonstrates the power of Dylan’s art as an example of the potential intersection of mathematics, culture, and storytelling. His work shows that geometry is not separate from our lives, but can be a living language that speaks to our identities, our cultures, and our place in the natural world.

Stop 1:

I stopped at Dylan Thomas's descriptions of how his art pieces, such as Sacred Cycle and Salmon Spirits, employ repeated salmon shapes arranged according to rotational symmetry to illustrate cycles of life, cultural heritage, and concern for the salmon population.

This experience has altered my perspective on what geometry means and what symmetry does beyond what has traditionally been taught to us: that symmetry is used to make our designs aesthetically pleasing or mathematically correct. Symmetry here has deeper cultural significance. The repeating salmon shapes are not merely a series of shapes repeated according to a pattern; they have a deeper meaning, illustrating cycles of life, survival, and spirituality between the Coast Salish culture and nature. The salmon life cycle has become a visual metaphor for life and mentoring.

 This reminded me of Indian traditional art forms like Warli paintings, in which repeated drawings of humans or animals in circular patterns symbolize community, agricultural activities, or living in harmony with nature. In Warli paintings, repetition is not used to add beauty or rhythm but to emphasize the interconnectedness of all living beings. Similarly, in Dylan’s artwork, repetition of mathematical concepts emphasizes that humans, animals, or nature are all interconnected. Both forms of art emphasize that mathematics can also be a form of cultural expression, rather than being restricted to a school or college curriculum.

 

 

Stop 2:

I stopped again when I read about Thomas’s artwork, titled “Mandala,” which combines elements of Coast Salish design and the inward-drawing quality of Buddhist mandalas. This artwork employs concentric circles and strategically placed symmetrical shapes to draw the eye inward toward the center.

This part stood out to me because it shows how geometry can bring cultures that are far apart, both geographically and historically, closer together. The use of mandalas in Indian and Tibetan cultures represents the universe, balance, and the inward journey toward enlightenment. They are not simply decorations but spiritual tools for reflection and meditation. The way Dylan has combined this structure with Coast Salish symbols and shapes makes it a piece that is both particular to his heritage and universal.

This really resonated with my experience in EDUC 550, where I created a 3 Act Math Task using the concept of pookalam to connect culture and mathematics. The designs created during the Onam festival in the state of Kerala, called pookalam, use concentric circles with symmetry, pattern development, and the use of color in a balanced way. As I was creating the 3 Act Math Task, I realized that the student was not just learning geometry, but also learning about culture, nature, and community through the lens of mathematics.

 

Dylan’s Mandala works in a very similar way. The use of symmetry in the mandala represents harmony, belonging, and connection to the world, nature, and the divine. The use of circles and patterns in mandalas, as in designs from Indian and Malayali cultures, reflects how people view the world and their place in it.

Discussion Question:

I wonder how our current assessment practices might limit students when math is connected to culture, and what new forms of assessment could better recognize creativity, reasoning, and cultural knowledge.