This tessellation is built using the Pm symmetry group – two alternating parallel mirrors, without any glides or rotations. Makes for a stacked look to the nested shapes. One vertical mirror down the lady and the other down the dog and shampoo bottle. Always wondered how HairStylist cut their own hair, awkward to cut your own, probably dangerous too. Well, I figured it out. “Let me cut my hair for me”. And it’s always nice to bring Fifi the dog with you to the Salon. What do you think Tina?

Fifi at the Salon tessellation by Francine Champagne ©2016

This above system is the only symmetry group for which I cannot find any prints by M.C. Escher. I had a quick look in the inventory tables in Doris Schattschneider’s wonderful book, Visions of Symmetry. M.C. Escher has one print in the Pmm group, but none in the Pm group. This Pmm group being different than the above, as the symmetry is built around a parallelogram of mirrors – very restrictive, but he was successful, see below.

4 motifs system by MC Escher

Other Pm tessellations I have done which are already on this blog are as follows:

1. Totem with Three Figures
2. Island Inhabitants
3. Mickey and the Reapers

But I think Fifi at the Salon is the best representation of this Pm symmetry group, to date.

2018-10-18; I varied the colours imperceptibly on this tessellation, before sending it to Italy. It’s been following the M.C. Escher show by Artemisia Communications, from Madrid, to Lisbon and now Brooklyn, who knows where she will end up.

Fifi at the Salon tessellation by Francine Champagne ©2016

Fifi at the Salon