SCALE AND PROPORTION Proportion

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1 SCALE AND PROPORTION Scale and proportion are related terms: Both basically refer to size. Scale is essentially another word for size. Large scale is a way of saying big, and small scale means small. Big and small, however, are relative. What is big? Big is meaningless unless we have some standard of reference. A big dog means nothing if we do not know the size of an average dog. This is what distinguishes the two terms. Proportion refers to relative size size measured against other elements or against some mental norm or standard. The small stool and the clues given by the architecture of the space provide a scale reference for judging the size of the sphere in A. Because a sphere has no inherent scale reference, we depend on the context to judge its size. In A the sphere is almost oppressively large in proportion to the setting. Imagine the same sphere outdoors seen from an airplane. It might have the same visual impact as a period on this page. We often think of the word proportion in connection with mathematical systems of numerical ratios. It is true that many such systems have been developed over the centuries. Artists have attempted to define the most pleasing size relationships in items as diverse as the width and length of sides of a rectangle to parts of the human body.

2 Using Scale and Proportion for Emphasis Scale and proportion are closely tied to emphasis and focal point. The lemon and strawberry depicted in Glen Holland s painting (B) are at a one-to-one (1:1) scale, so the painting is obviously small. However, the proportion of these subjects to the rest of the painting and the unusual point of view lend a monumental feeling to these humble subjects. In past centuries visual scale was often related to thematic importance. The size of figures was based on their symbolic importance in the subject being presented. This use of scale is called hieratic scaling. Saint Lawrence is unnaturally large compared with the other figures in the fifteenth-century painting in C. The artist thus immediately not only establishes an obvious focal point but also indicates the relative importance of Saint Lawrence to the other figures.

3 HUMAN SCALE REFERENCE One way to think of artistic scale is to consider the scale of the work itself its size in relation to other art, in relation to its surroundings, or in relation to human size. Unhappily, book illustrations cannot show art in its original size or scale. Unusual or unexpected scale is arresting and attention getting. Sheer size does impress us. When we are confronted by frescoes such as the Sistine Chapel ceiling, our first reaction is simply awe at the enormous scope of the work. Later we study and admire details, but first we are overwhelmed by the magnitude. The reverse effect is illustrated in the Chinese medallion in A. A world of details figures, landscape, and architecture is compressed into a 3½-inch-diameter circle. An immensity of information is rendered with delicate precision on an intimate scale. The Power of Unusual Scale If large or small size springs naturally from the function, theme, or purpose of a work, an unusual scale is justified. We are acquainted with many such cases. The gigantic pyramids made a political statement of the pharaohs eternal power. The elegant miniatures of the religious Book of Hours (B) served as inspirational illustrations for the private devotionals of medieval nobility. The small scale is appropriate to private reflection. The scale of C illustrates the opposite approach. Kent Twitchell s enormous wall painting rivals today s large billboards. As trees have grown to eclipse these portraits of musicians, a humorous juxtaposition occurs. Naturalistic images blown up to such monumental scale cannot be ignored, and they alter the urban environment. In D we see a different application of human scale with a satiric effect. This parody of Leonardo s Mona Lisa is startling and even grotesque. Intuitively we know the right proportion for head to body, and the large head in Botero s painting is unsettling and out of scale.

4 CONTEXT Earthworks are unique in the grandeur of their scale. The Nazca earth drawing (A) is pre-columbian in origin. Its original function or meaning has been lost and is the subject of much speculation. With a length of 150 feet it can really only be seen properly from the air! A sense of scale can be determined by the tire tracks around the perimeter of the spider. Claes Oldenburg has made use of a leap of scale in his Typewriter Eraser (B). As with the work of other pop artists, this piece calls attention to an everyday object not previously considered worthy of aesthetic consideration. Oldenburg transforms the object by elevating it to a monumental scale. A magnification such as this allows us to see the form with fresh eyes, and, as a result, we might discover new associations, such as the graceful strands of the brush, which project upward like a fountain. It can also be argued that Oldenburg makes monuments appropriate to a consumer culture.

5 The ad for Emirates Airline shown in C is stunning even if we have grown accustomed to supersize billboards such as those that crowd Times Square in New York and many other cities. In this case the poster spans most of a fifty-five story building. The sheer size may lead us to overlook other considerations of context: The extended arm of the Statue of Liberty is echoed by the shape of the building itself, and the location of this image in the Arab city of Dubai is an affirmation of American and Arab connection, not discord. The Anti-Ad Agency fosters other considerations of large-scale images in public space and critiques the insistent message to consume implicit in such ubiquitous advertising. The child s scribble drawing proposed for a billboard (D) creates a surprisingly delicate and witty counterpoint to the usual sales pitch. In fact, a blow-up of scribbles would be difficult to convey at a large scale.

6 INTERNAL PROPORTIONS The second way to discuss artistic scale is to consider the size and scale of elements within the design or pattern. The scale here, of course, is relative to the overall area of the format a big element in one painting might be small in a larger work. Again, we often use the term proportion to describe the size relationships between various parts of a unit. To say an element in a composition is out of proportion carries a negative feeling, and it is true that such a visual effect is often startling or unsettling. However, it is possible that this reaction is precisely what some artist s desire. The three examples in A contain the same elements. But in each design the scale of the items is different, thus altering the proportional relationships between the parts. This variation results in very different visual effects in the same way that altering the proportion of ingredients in a recipe changes the final dish. Which design is best or which we prefer can be argued. The answer would depend on what effect we wish to create. Using Scale to Effect Look at the difference scale can make in a painting. The images in B and C both deal with the same topic: the well-known story of Christ s last supper with His disciples before the crucifixion. In Ghirlandaio s painting (B) all the figures are quite small relative to a large, airy, and open space. The figures are life-size in a 25-foot-long architectural painting. The regular placement of the figures at the table and the geometric, repeating elements of the architecture give a feeling of calm and quiet order. The Last Supper by Nolde (C) is, indeed, in a different style of painting, but a major difference between the two works is the use of scale within the picture. In fact the figures in both paintings are similar in size! However, Nolde s figures are crammed together and overlap in the constricting space of a modest canvas. The result is crowded and claustrophobic. Nolde focuses our attention on the intense emotions of the event. The harsh drawing, agitated brushwork, and distortion of the figures enforce the feeling. Both artists relate the same story, but they have very different goals. The choice of scale is a major factor in achieving each artist s intention.