Art Appreciation April 27, 2017 Prof
Art Appreciation April 27th 2017prof
Art Appreciation April 27th, 2017 Prof. Lefeld Collage Assignment Maxine Martinez Composition in art refers to ______(define composition here)______. This collage represents an imaginary landscape, abstracted, and constructed from a variety of colorful magazine cutouts. Several compositional elements are identifiable such as the visual elements color, shape, and implied texture. Also present in the collage are three design principles such as scale, balance and variety.
The use of a vivid palette is made by combining warm and cool colors in certain areas. There is a play between analogous harmonies, and a complementary group of colors. For example, the color of the flower in the top left contrasts with the top right red ‘clouds’. Green is the complementary color of red, even though there is an area of blue separating both, by placing these in proximity it creates a tonal variety of hues. Green is analogous to yellow, there is less contrast on the left-hand side of the collage.
Certain colors like the yellow in the chrysanthemum, the top blue area, the orange on the right-hand side, and the image of the lake are highly saturated. The shapes are mostly organic, following the contours of certain objects such as the tree, leaves, plants, etc. Each element shows an image implying different textures. The flower petals seem smooth, while the leaves on the agave show thorns that evoke much different tactile quality. The tree is much smaller in scale than the rest of the objects, although the horses at the bottom right are proportionate to the tree. It uses asymmetrical balance, and emphasis on the yellow chrysanthemum as a point of entrance to the artwork.
The variety of forms, colors, shapes, etc., help in making a dynamic composition. The composition seems stable, and aesthetically pleasing even if it has asymmetrical balance, since the visual weight of the yellow flower finds great visual counterbalance in the top clouds, and the solid bright green organic shape in the bottom right.
Paper For Above instruction
Art appreciation involves understanding the fundamental principles that govern the creation and perception of visual artworks. Central to this is the concept of composition, which can be defined as the arrangement of visual elements within a work of art to create harmony, balance, and emphasis. Composition guides the viewer’s eye across the artwork, establishing relationships among the elements and contributing to the overall aesthetic experience.
In this collage, the artist constructs an imaginary landscape using various colorful magazine cutouts, exemplifying the principles of composition through deliberate placement of elements. The collage is characterized by vibrant colors, diverse shapes, and textures that work cohesively to produce a dynamic, balanced visual experience. The use of different compositional elements such as color, shape, and implied texture adds depth and interest, while the application of design principles like scale, balance, and variety enhances the overall harmony.
Color and Palette
The collage employs a vivid palette created through the combination of warm and cool colors, which introduces contrast and harmony simultaneously. The warm colors, such as the orange and yellow, grab attention, whereas the cool colors like blue and green provide a calming effect. For instance, the prominent yellow chrysanthemum acts as a focal point due to its saturation and placement, drawing the viewer's eye. Contrasting colors, such as the red clouds against a green background, create visual interest. Even when separated by lines or other elements, placement of complementary colors like green and red enhances tonal variety and depth. The use of analogous color schemes, such as the yellow-green and blue-green regions, adds harmony and smooth transitions within the collage.
Shapes and Textures
Most shapes in the collage are organic, following natural contours reminiscent of actual flora and fauna. The plant-like forms, including leaves and flowers, are rendered with contours that suggest softness or tactile textures, such as the smooth petals of a flower contrasted with the spiny leaves of an agave. The implied textures evoke a tactile sense: smoothness in flower petals versus roughness of thorns. Such textural variations not only provide visual variety but also enhance realism within the surreal landscape. The smaller scale of the trees amidst larger objects creates depth, fostering a layered spatial effect.
Balance and Emphasis
Although the collage employs asymmetrical balance, it nonetheless achieves harmony through strategic placement of visual weight. The yellow chrysanthemum acts as the focal point, positioned such that it captures immediate attention. This emphasis is balanced by the presence of larger, distributed elements like the clouds in the top right and the green organic shape in the bottom right, which serve as counterbalances. The principle of balance ensures that no part of the composition appears overly heavy or visually disconnected, creating a stable yet lively arrangement.
Variety and Unity
The collage exhibits a high degree of variety in forms, colors, and textures, which contributes to its dynamic and engaging nature. Despite this diversity, the composition maintains unity through consistent thematic elements—such as the recurring organic shapes, the continual color palette, and the implied landscape narrative. This unity ensures that the collage is cohesively perceived as a single image rather than isolated fragments.
Conclusion
Overall, this collage exemplifies how a thoughtful application of compositional elements and principles can produce a visually stimulating and harmonious artwork. The use of contrasting and analogous colors, organic shapes with implied textures, and strategic balance all contribute to an artwork that is both aesthetically pleasing and conceptually intriguing. Such artworks demonstrate the importance of composition in art as a tool for guiding viewer engagement, emphasizing specific elements, and creating a unified visual story.
References
- Arnheim, R. (1954). Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye. University of California Press.
- Daichendt, G. J. (2010). Artist-Teacher: Developing as a Creative Community. Intellect Books.
- Gombrich, E. H. (1995). The Story of Art (16th ed.). Phaidon Press.
- Hattwig, B. (2016). Art and Visual Culture. Oxford University Press.
- Krishnamurti, R. (2012). The Power of Color: A Visual Guide. HarperCollins.
- Locher, M. A. (2016). Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books.
- Petterson, D. (2013). Elements of Composition. Routledge.
- Smith, R. (2004). Principles of Composition. Thames & Hudson.
- Wells, L. (2012). Art Since 1900. Phaidon Press.
- Worringer, W. (2005). Abstraction in Art and Art Theory. Routledge.