Post Discussion Question: Listed above is: Singles Lifestyles, Lee's Love Typology and Sternberg's Triangular theory of love. While listening to the above audios, "How We Love," link in blu
ART ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES UNIT
The information in this unit will help you with understanding the visual art that you are studying and with completing your assigned paper, which is after this information. The images discussed come from the textbook.
When analyzing art, the viewer/student should look at some very key things. At first the vocabulary might seem simple, but there is more there to think about when you look at the entire composition of the work. We will discuss:
The five elements
(1) line
(2) form
(3) color
(4) mass
(5) texture
The four principles
(1) repetition
(2) balance
(3) unity
(4) focal area
ART ELEMENTS
LINE. The basis of all visual design is line. Most of the time, we think of line (if we even think of it at all!) as just something like this: _______________________. In an email address, it looks like a continuous underscore. In art that is two-dimensional (drawings, paintings, prints, etc.), line can be defined as: (1) a linear form in which length is more important than width, (2) a linear form that is created by the edge of color(s), and (3) a linear form that is implied by directional cues created such as brushwork, texture, shapes, etc. All of these characteristics are visible in Van Gogh’s Olive Trees, p. 73. Notice the black lines outlining the tree trunks for the first definition. Then, notice the lavender mountains next to the sunlit sky for the section definition. His distinctively long strokes on the ground give a sense of directional line from lower right to upper left.
In three-dimensional art (sculpture), line is similarly defined. The first definition (1) still works. The second (2) one works with the modification that the edge of the surrounding space also defines line. The third (3) one is even more directionally defined. We speak of sculpture as having an "open" or "closed" form in that the directional line(s) focus the viewer's attention either out from the work (open) or back into the piece (closed). Kneeling Crossbowman, p. 20, is an example of a closed composition.
FORM. In two-dimensional art, form refers to and is often synonymous with a shape in the composition. Form is also the space created by line. As for art that is three-dimensional, we have already looked at how line helps define a composition as open or closed. Again, this emphasizes the close relationship between line and form. With three-dimensional art, form is always synonymous with shape. We also have to look to see if the form has any negative space. Negative space is the area that appears as a hole in the sculpture. Some sculptures do not have any negative space. Statues of the human figure, such as Kneeling Crossbowman, often have negative space created by space between the legs and between the arms and torso.
COLOR. Color is an extremely important element of art. It can be discussed from three different perspectives: (1) as electromagnetic energy, (2) as a psychological perception, or (3) simply as how an artist uses it. For the purpose of our discussion we will focus on the last one (3) and discuss hue, value, and intensity. Hue is what we normally mean when we us the word color. It is the name given to a specific measurable wavelength in the color spectrum. The color spectrum occurs in nature when you magnify light. You see the spectrum when you look at a rainbow. The hues range from red to violet (purple). The primary hues are red, yellow, and blue. The secondary hues, orange, green, and violet, are made from blending together equal proportions of two primaries. The color wheel, on the next, shows these colors or hues. For example, blending yellow and blue in equal proportions makes green. Complementary colors are the hues that are opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red and green. When you mix together equal proportions of red and green, you get gray. This works for all the complementary colors.
Value describes the scale of blacks to whites and grays. The words “light” and “dark” are used to describe the perceivable tones between black and white with “light” meaning that the tone is higher on the scale, towards the white, and “dark” meaning that the tone is lower on the scale, towards the black. When you add white to a hue to make it lighter, you create a tint of that hue. When you add black to a hue to make it darker, you create a shade of that hue. Each hue, in its pure state, has is own value on the value scale. Looking at the color wheel, you can see that the hues from red to blue naturally appear to be darker than those around yellow, orange, and green.
MASS. Mass refers to objects that take up space and that have density. Two-dimensional objects can give the illusion of having mass by using techniques of light and shade. Look at Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’Benci, p. 49. Notice how light strikes her face from the right, and the effect of shading coming from the left side gives her face the illusion of being three-dimensional. However, only three-dimensional objects actually possess this physical property.
TEXTURE. Texture describes the smoothness or roughness of the surface of a work of art. With two-dimensional art, texture is created by two means. The first way is that surface may feel to be as smooth as glass or as thick and rough as produced by the technique of impasto. Impasto is a process of applying paint thickly often by using a palette knife. The second way is accomplished by creating the illusion of texture by making something look three-dimensional. The texture is implied, but not actual. With three-dimensional art, texture describes the actual physical surface of the sculpture as being either rough or smooth.
ART PRINCIPLES
REPETITION. Repetition describes how the four elements, line, form, color, mass, and texture, repeat or alternate in a work of art. Three words we use in discussing this are rhythm, harmony, and variation (which also happen to be musical terms). Rhythm is the order in which the elements recur in the work. When the repeated element is exactly the same, we call it regular as opposed to irregular. For example, the form or shape of the bottles in Warhol’s Twenty-Five Colored Marilyns, p. 55, are the same, but the color varies somewhat.
Harmony is the way we perceive the repetition of the elements. Whether or not we interpret the repeated elements as logical (harmonious) or illogical (dissonant, another musical term) is based on cultural conditioning. Variation is how the repeated elements relate to one another. It is similar to theme and variation in music.
BALANCE. Balance, like harmony, is an intuitive perception. You either see it as “in balance” or not. Symmetry refers to a composition that is exactly a mirror image if you split it in half. The Taj Mahal, p. 165, is an example of this. Asymmetry is a psychological balance with which the viewer interprets something as being balanced despite each half having different items. Nadar’s photograph of Sarah Bernhardt, p. 109, is a good example of asymmetrical balance.
UNITY. In most cases, artists desire to have all the elements work together to produce a whole, unified composition. It is similar to putting all the words together to make a sentences that expresses what you want to say. Now, sometimes, the artist is not really trying to say anything, but the composition still works as a whole successfully. This is compositional unity. When the artist is trying to convey an idea, and it is successful, we call this conceptual unity. A work can have both types of unity.
FOCAL AREA. Many pieces of art have several focal areas. These are the places that we focus our attention on when first looking at a work. Line and color are often used to create this effect. The circular frame of the mirror in Shibakuni’s Kabuki Actor, p. 53, throws attention or emphasis on the actor’s face reflected in the mirror. The actor’s reflection is the focal point.
FORMAL CRITIQUE ESSAY
NOTE: You must choose a work that you want to critique at a local art museum (Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Garden, Meadow Museum at SMU, Crow Collection, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth Modern Art Museum). If you live outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, contact me and we will figure out which art museum you can use in your area. YOU MUST DISCUSS ALL THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES LISTED BELOW. Please be certain to complete paragraphs 4 and 5 as directed. Make sure that you include your personal evaluation as specified so that I have your opinion as part of the analysis. This essay should be more than 750 words.
With the Formal Critique submission to your instructor, you must include a photo of yourself with the work of art you chose (selfies…yay!). Be certain to include the name of the work you chose and when and where you saw it in the first paragraph of the paper. Take notes about the elements and principles in Module 2 for this assignment. You also should print out this document and take it with you. Some information about the elements and principles is listed above to remind you of what to discuss.
The five elements
(1) line
(2) form
(3) color
(4) mass
(5) texture
The four principles
(1) repetition
(2) balance
(3) unity
(4) focal area
PARAGRAPH #1: Descriptive Phase
Describe the artwork you have selected. Write your initial response (item A below) to the work. What do you think the artwork is about (story)? What message (idea) are you receiving from the work? You may find both.
PARAGRAPH #2: Analytical Phase A
Analyze the artist’s use of the Elements of Art in the artwork you select. Locate and write about specific examples (item B below) in your selected artwork. Think about how the artist’s use of the Elements affects your response to the artwork for Paragraph 5.
PARAGRAPH #3: Analytical Phase B
Analyze the artist’s use of the Principles of Art/Design in your selected artwork. Locate and write about the specific examples (B below) in your selected artwork. Think about how the artist’s use of the Principles affects your response to the artwork for Paragraph 5.
PARAGRAPH #4: Interpretative Phase
Using the information provided by the book, event program, or museum label information as research, write about how your selected artwork fits in with the body of work and the intent of the artist. DO NOT CONDUCT ANY ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. THIS IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER. If you do not find anything to help from the label or the book, then think about how it fits in with the other works in that area of the museum.
PARAGRAPH #5: Evaluative Phase
In CONCLUSION, state whether your personal response was changed by both your formal analysis (the Elements and Principles) and the research from the text. Be sure to include more than this simple statement. Qualify your response with reasons why (how), or why not, 2, 3, and 4 affected your first response. ADDITIONALLY, visiting an art museum you support the arts community. After your personal response to the work of art or event you chose, write a personal reflection that demonstrates your understanding of the value of this place and its impact on the community.
NOTE on this assignment and on writing in general:
First responses should be just that. Resist the urge to over-think this. React and respond and describe that feeling or response in your writing. If the artwork tells you a story, then communicate that story in your writing. If it makes you sad, then express that in your writing, and explain why.
You MUST give specific examples of how and where the artist uses them in your selected artwork. Do not simply list the elements and principles used in the image. Additionally, the examples you provide must reflect the artist’s use and application of the Elements and Principles in the making of the artwork, NOT about story, meaning, or responses.
A well-constructed paragraph must be at least 5 sentences long. Also, all material related to the topic of the paragraph stays in that paragraph. You may refer back to that information in other places in your essay, but introduce the information in its appropriate place.
Essays and individual paragraphs have a beginning, middle and end. In this essay, the beginning is your initial response; the middle represents your analysis and research (2, 3, 4), and your conclusion is paragraph 5 which ties back to your beginning.
NO CONTRACTIONS ARE APPROPRIATE IN FORMAL WRITING! Do not use don’t, use do not. College-level grammar is expected. When you are giving your opinion, you may use “I” rather than “one.”
Put your essay in MLA format and email to your instructor by the due date listed for your section in the What to Do List and the Calendar.
If you have any questions, be certain to ask me: [email protected]
