1. Association and Abstraction
Association relies on the viewers past experiences.
Abstraction is a departure from representational accuracy.

2. Association
Association depends on the ability of the viewer to understand a mental concept beyond what can be seen in an image.
Symbolic association is the use of a commonly understood symbol to communicate an idea or provoke an emotional response.
Sensory association is when visual imagery evokes associations with other senses.
Comparative association happens by visually connecting two or more objects which causes the viewer to compare them. When there is nothing to compare, the viewer is forced to associate the image with him/herself. Adding another image breaks self-association: the viewer focuses on the association of the two objects.

3. Examples of Viewer Association
by Alice Neel

4. Abstraction
Abstracting an image can make it more interesting, help draw attention to a specific element in a design, or create a sense of mystery.
There are two main types of Abstraction:
Distortion and Simplification.
In Distortion, the elements that make up an image are altered in a less-representational way.
The Simplification of an image is also considered to be an Abstraction.
Non-representational abstraction does not attempt to portray any object at all, but uses the elements of design to create a compelling image without the need to represent or associate the image to the real world.

5. Examples of Simplification by Matisse and Gauguin

6. Examples of Distortion by Picasso and Dali

7. Examples of Non-Representational Abstraction by Mondrain and Rothko

8. Abstracted and Non-Objective Designs
You will be creating 2 designs—one abstracted and one non-objective—from the same reference image. Use your viewfinder to find a magazine image to work from.
The viewfinder is just to help you find a good composition. You do not need to reproduce the section verbatim, use it as a starting point and then use design principles to make the design stronger.
In the non-objective design use a viewfinder to help you “find” a composition within your magazine image. You will be reproducing the composition you see. Use the viewfinder to discover areas that have the following: 1) strong directional force, movement, & rhythm 2) strong tonal variations and value distribution 3) Good balance and a strong focal point
Using the image content, create an abstracted version of the image. It may be in the way the design is rendered or the image may be combined in a more creative way with other elements to create a new metaphor (association).

9. Homework Reading Assignment: Chapter 8 “Time & Motion” pgs. 168-187
Bi-weekly Assignment #3 Due April 14th.
Work on Final Written Assignment & Presentation.