(Focal point and Emphasis, Rhythm, and Scale & Proportion)
More Compositional Tools
Gericault, Horse Attacked by a Tiger
What is the artist asking us to pay attention to?How is he doing that?
EMPHASIS
• Gives prominence to part of a design—makes one part more important than others
Degas, The Café Singer
Focal points are compositional devices used to create emphasis:
an element in the composition that commands the viewer’s attention and invites them to look closer.
Stuart Davis, Composition
Focal Accents are more than one focal point in an image.
Emphasis by contrast occurs when one element differs from others
• A light element in a mostly dark design• When most elements are soft edged, a hard
edged component becomes the focal point• If most things are realistic the expressive part
is the focal point (or vice versa)• Text or graphic symbols• When most shapes are consistent but a few
differ (circles in a square design)
Jeff Wall, The Pine On the Corner
What element is different than others?
Text or graphic symbols
Static/Dynamic Contrast
Contrast in Scale (small/large contrast)
Textural Contrast
Curved/Rectangular Contrast
Eakins, the Agnew Clinic
Emphasis by isolation: when one element is placed off from others to show difference/importance. What other devices are used to create emphasis?
Jacque-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatti
Emphasis by Placement: many elements point to one area; our attention is directed there.
Shepard Fairey
Compositionally, how is he making the roses a focal point in the print?
Vermeer, The Music Lesson
Grunewald: Christ Descending from the Grave
DOMINANCE: Attracts a viewer’s attention through one element overwhelming the piece
What dominates here, and how is that achieved?
Sol Lewitt, Wall Drawing
All over design: focal points are eliminated to emphasize the surface of the entire piece, rather than a small area.
James Ensor, Christ’s Entry Into the City
Where is the focal point? What is emphasized?
SCALE: A term for size. Usually refers to the size of the object relative to the human body or the standard size of the object.
Robert Therrien, Stacked Plates
Scale can refer to size within the image or in comparison to real life
Fra Fillipi Polli, Saint Lawrence
Heirarchical scale: importance is determined by size
Medallion, Ming Dynasty
Chris Burden, Los Angels Police Department
James Rieck, Shirtsleeves
Mehretu, Goldman Lobby
Julie Mehretu, Goldman Sachs Lobby
Nasca Drawing, Peru
Proportion
Refers to relative size, measured against other elements in a composition. For example, in these caricature images, certain features are out of proportion (ears, chin) relative to the rest of the face---in this case, for comic effect.
Charles Ray, Family Romance Illustration of Scale and Proportion shifts
Rene Magritte, Personal Values
Contrast of scale: when different scales are used within the same image
Bridget Riley, Drift
Rhthym: a visual as well as musical sensation. Related to the impression of movement.
Chairs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Repeating forms give the impression of rhythm, creating patterns.
Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie
Anton Stankowski
Anton Stankowski
Bridget Riley
Ed Ruscha, Goodyear Tires, Laurel Canyon, CA
Progressive rhythm: shapes changing in a regular manner. Here, the oil stains from parked cars get darker and larger the closer the parking spaces are to the store.
Robert Delaunay, Composition
Alternating rhythm:Motifs alternate regularly to create a pattern
Malevich, Machine Composition
Kinestethetic:When a visual experience stimulates another sense. Here, the sense of sound
Malevich, Suprematist Composition
What kind of sound is suggested by this composition vs. the previous comp?