COMPOSITION

COMPOSITION Composition  The organization, placement or arrangement of objects or elements in a two dimensional space.

COMPOSITION techniques Format Balance Figure and Ground

Figure and Ground COMPOSITION - Terminology figure and ground -- The relationship between what you notice first (the figure) and everything else (the background).  In this photograph of the sculptor Rodin by Alfred Stieglitz, what do notice first? Why? Can the figure and ground be interchangeable?

Figure/Ground Reversal COMPOSITION - Terminology Figure/Ground Reversal

COMPOSITION - Terminology Photographs by Aaron Siskind (1903-1991 )

Format COMPOSITION - Terminology format– The shape or form which defines the edges or boundaries of a work of art.  In this painting by Mondrian the artist has created a composition within a square that is rotated to create a diamond, or what the artist referred to as a “lozenge”. How does this shape affect the overall composition?

Portrait and Landscape COMPOSITION - Terminology Portrait and Landscape

Portrait and Landscape COMPOSITION - Terminology Portrait and Landscape Why would the artist Caspar David Friedrich choose to use this vertical format?

Portrait and Landscape COMPOSITION - Terminology Portrait and Landscape Why would the artist Caspar David Friedrich choose to use this horizontal format?

Pictorial Balance COMPOSITION - Terminology Pictorial balance -- The creation of equilibrium or stability within a work of art. In this painting by Georgia O’Keefe, what is helping the painting achieve balance?

Symmetrical Balance COMPOSITION - Terminology Symmetrical balance-- Balance that is achieved by arranging elements on either side of the center of a composition in an equally weighted manner.

Asymmetrical Balance COMPOSITION - Terminology Asymmetrical balance-- Balance that is achieved by arranging different elements on either side of the center of a composition in an equally weighted manner.

COMPOSITION - Terminology Asymmetrical Balance

COMPOSITION - Terminology Asymmetrical Balance

Emphasis COMPOSITION - Terminology Emphasis – Directing the viewer’s attention to a specific area in a work of art, often called the focal point. How has the artist Julie Mehretu created a focal point in this drawing?

Lack of Emphasis COMPOSITION - Terminology How does the lack of a focal point affect the way we see this Julie Mehretu drawing?

Emphasis COMPOSITION - Terminology Emphasis can be created in various ways: Contrast of value – Contrasting elements (dark/light) grab our attention. Contrast of color – Areas of color that differ from surrounding colors stand out. Isolation – Elements placed apart from other elements draw the eye. Placement – The center of a composition is a natural focal point.

COMPOSITION Drawings by Susan Jane Walp (b. 1948)

COMPOSITION Drawings by Lee Bontecou (b. 1931)

COMPOSITION Drawings by Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009)

COMPOSITION techniques Golden Rectangle Rule of Thirds Positive/Negative shapes

COMPOSITION – The Rule of Thirds The Rule of Thirds is a popular method for composing a picture that uses a vertical and horizontal division of the picture plane into thirds

COMPOSITION – The Rule of Thirds

COMPOSITION – The Rule of Thirds

COMPOSITION – The Rule of Thirds

COMPOSITION – The Rule of Thirds

The Golden Rectangle The “golden rectangle,” “golden mean,” COMPOSITION – The Golden Rectangle The Golden Rectangle The “golden rectangle,” “golden mean,” and “golden section” all refer to a rectangle with specific proportions based upon mathematical formulae

COMPOSITION – The Golden Rectangle

COMPOSITION – The Golden Rectangle

COMPOSITION – The Golden Rectangle