Chapter 3 He searched disorder for its unifying principles. Brian O Doherty on Stuart Davis

Transcription

1 Chapter 3 He searched disorder for its unifying principles. Brian O Doherty on Stuart Davis Principles of Design

2 Design or Composition Design or composition is a process - the act of organizing the visual elements to effect a desired aesthetic on a work of art. When artists create compositions they consciously draw upon design principles. Sometimes, however, they may choose to consciously violate them.

3 UNITY AND VARIETY Unity is oneness or wholeness. A work or art achieves unity when its parts seem necessary to the composition.

4 Ways to Achieve Unity and Variety with Unity Grid Color harmony Keeping one or more aspects of the work constant Continuity

5 Variety Note the use of color field for the sense of variety and unity Note the sense of oneness in the compositions Thus, there is a sense of variety The overall composition is now unified

6 Fig. 3.1, p.70 ANDY WARHOL Ethel Scull Thirty-Six Times (1963). Synthetic polymer paint silkscreened on canvas. 79-3/4 x 143-1/4.

7 Variety Fig. 3.2, p.71 ARCHIBALD J. MOTLEY JR. Saturday Night (1935). Oil on canvas cm x cm.

8 Types of Unity Visual Unity - Artwork that is unified by color, shape, composition, or some other visual design principle Conceptual Unity - Artwork that has a common theme or concept throughout it

9 Conceptual Unity Fig. 3.5, p.70 EMMA AMOS. Measuring Measuring (1995). Acrylic on linen canvas, African fabric, laser-transfer photographs. 84 x 70.

10 Emphasis on Variety When artists emphasize variety, they are usually exaggerating differences rather than similarities.

11 BALANCE Balance refers to the distribution of weight in art The actual or apparent weight in the elements of a composition Balancing the formal elements of art

12 Fig. 3.7, p.73 POLYKLEITOS. Doryphoros (c BCE). Roman copy after bronze Greek original. Marble. 6 6.

13 Actual Balance and Pictorial Balance 1. Actual Balance means that the piece of art is literally balanced. It can stand upright on its own. 2. Pictorial Balance refers to the distribution of the apparent or visual weight of the elements in works that are basically 2D.

14 Symmetrical Balance Symmetry - refers to a similarity of form or arrangement on either side of a dividing line or plane Symmetrical Balance - the whole of the work has a symmetrical feeling Asymmetrical balance - when the variations to the right and left side of the composition are more then slight, yet there remains an overall sense of balance Bilateral symmetry (or pure or formal symmetry) - everything in a composition to either side of an actual or imaginary line is the same

15 Fig. 3.8, p.75 LEONARDO DA VINCI. Proportion of the Human Figure (after Vitruvius) (c ). Pen and ink x

16 Fig. 3.9, p.75: The United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC.

17 Asymmetrical Balance When the right and left sides of a composition bear visibly different shapes, colors, textures, or other elements, and yet they are arranged or weighted in such a way that the work feels balanced. We tend to like balance.

18 Fig. 3.12, p.76: DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD. Verde (1990). Found steel. 79 x 108 x 31.

19 Horizontal, Vertical, and Radial Balance Horizontal balance - Elements on the left and right side of the composition seem to be about equal. Vertical balance - The elements at the top and bottom of the composition are in balance Diagonal balance - The elements on either side of a diagonal line dividing the composition are visually equal. Radial balance - Design elements radiate from the center point; frequently used in ceramics, jewelry, basketry, stained glass, and other crafts

20 Horizontal Balance Fig. 3.13, p.77 GERTRUDE KÄSEBIER. Blessed Art Thou among Women (c. 1898). Photograph.

21 Fig. 3.16, p.78 ALI MUHAMMAD KASHIGAR ISFAHANI. Iranian tabletop (1887). Nine separate tiles. Table diameter, 136 cm.

22 Imbalance Can create shock and discomfort Can be used to capture a sense of movement

23 Fig. 3.17, p.79 ROBERT CAPA. Death of a Loyalist Soldier (September 5, 1936). Gelatin silver print.

24 EMPHASIS AND FOCAL POINT Some feature of a work normally will capture the viewer s attention. Artists use emphasis to focus the viewer s attention.

25 How to create a focal point: Accentuating certain shapes Intensifying color Using directional line Strategically placing objects and images By isolating an object or subject

26 Fig 3.19, p.80 CHUCK CLOSE. Lucas II (1987). Oil on canvas. 36 x 30.

27 Fig. 3.21, p.80 PABLO PICASSO. Family of Saltimbanques (1905). Oil on Canvas. 83-3/4 x 90-3/8.

28 Fig. 3.22, p.82 OSKAR SCHLEMMER. Bauhaus Stairway (1932). Oil on canvas x 45.

29 Fig. 3.23, p.83: EDGAR DEGAS. Woman Leaning near a Vase of Flowers (Mme Paul Valpinçon; erroneously called Woman with Chrysanthemums) (1865). Oil on canvas. 29 x

30 RHYTHM Regular Repetition or Rhythm - orderly progressions Rhythm can move a viewer visually as well as emotionally. Repetitive pattern can be used to lead the eye over the landscape of the work. Rhythm is found in sound, nature, architecture, and art.

31 SCALE Scale refers to size. Scale - The relative size of an object compared to other objects of its kind, its setting, or human dimensions.

32 Fig. 3.25, p.84 COUNT DE MONTIZON. The Hippopotamus at the Zoological Gardens, Regent s Park (1852). Salted-paper print.

33 Hierarchical Scaling Used as a way of indicating importance Bigger = more import Often used in Ancient and Medieval art

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35 Distortion of Scale Altering the viewer s sense of scale can create visual shock and humor. Can challenge the viewer to rethink the subject and the historical aspects of the object

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37 The Canon of proportions - A set of rules about the body parts and their dimensions relative to one another that became the standard for creating the ideal figure. Golden mean or the golden section - The small part of a work should relate to a larger part of the work as the larger part relates to the whole. Golden Rectangle - a rectangle base on the measurements of the golden rectangle

38 Violating the Cannon for Expressive Purposes Fig. 3.32, p.88 ALICE NEEL. The Family (John Gruen, Jane Wilson and Julia) (1970). Oil on canvas x 5.

39 Fig. 3.36, p.89 The east facade of the Parthenon, superimposed with a root five rectangle. When we do not consider the gable (which is absent in this photograph), the facade of the Parthenon is a root five rectangle.

40 Fig. 3.37, p.89 MICHELANGELO. The Fall of Man and the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden ( ). Portion of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Fresco.