gateways to art chapter 1.1
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 1.1
Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Two-Dimensional Art
Elements of art Form the basic vocabulary of art
Principles of art The “grammar” of art
1.1 Spider, c. 500 BCE–500 CE, Nazca, Peru
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Spider, Nazca, Peru
Outline The outermost line of an object or figure, by which it is
defined or bounded
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Definition and Functions of Line
A mark, or implied mark, between two endpoints
Defines the boundaries between planes
Defines shapes
Directs the viewer’s eye
Conveys a sense of movement and energy
1.2b Canaletto, The Maundy Thursday Festival before the Ducal Palace in Venice, 1763/6. Pen and brown ink with gray wash, heightened with white gouache, 15⅛ x 21¾”. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
1.3 CLAMP, page from the Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, volume 21, page 47
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Lines to Regulate and Control
Regular lines express control and planning
1.4 Mel Bochner, Vertigo, 1982. Charcoal, Conté crayon, and pastel on canvas, 9’ x 6’2”. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Mel Bochner, Vertigo
Conceptual Art = a work in which the ideas are often as important as how it is made
1.5 Barbara Hepworth, Drawing for Sculpture (with color), 1941. Pencil and gouache on paper mounted on board, 14 x 16”.Private collection
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Lines to Express Freedom and Passion
Lines can be irregular, reflecting the wildness of nature, chaos, and accident
1.6 André Masson, Automatic Drawing, 1925–6. Ink on paper, 12 x 9½”. Musée National d’Art Moderne. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France
1.7 Jean Dubuffet, Suite avec 7 Personnages, 1981. Ink on paper, 13¾ x 16⅞”. Private collection
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Regular and Irregular Lines
Most artworks use both regular and irregular lines
1.8 George Bellows, Woodstock Road, Woodstock, New York, 1924. Black crayon on wove paper, image 6⅛ x 8⅞”, sheet 9¼ x 12⅜”. Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Implied Line
A line not actually drawn but suggested by elements in the work
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.9 Actual and Implied Lines
1.10 Franco-German hand, Pentateuch with Prophetical Readings and the Five Scrolls, 13th–14th century. Illustrated manuscript. British Library, London, England
1.11 Detail of Pentateuch with Prophetical Readings and the Five Scrolls
1.12 Sauerkids, The Devil Made Me Do It, 2006. Digital image, 16½ x 8¼”
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Directional Line
Artists can use line to direct a viewer’s attention to a particular part of a work
1.13 slide 1: Francisco Goya, The Third of May, 1808, 1814. Oil on canvas, 8’4⅜” x 11’3⅞”. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
1.13 slide 2: Francisco Goya, The Third of May, 1808, 1814. Oil on canvas, 8’4⅜” x 11’3⅞”. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Contour Line
Contour lines can suggest a volume in space by giving us clues about the changing character of a surface
1.15 Egon Schiele, Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, Standing, with Hands on Hips, 1915. Black crayon on paper, 18 x 11¼”. Private collection
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Communicative Line
Vertical lines = strength and energy
Horizontal lines = calmness and passiveness
Diagonal lines = action, motion, and change
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
1.16 Communicative qualities of line
1.17 Carolyn Davidson, Nike Company logo, 1971
1.18 Vincent van Gogh, The Bedroom, 1889. Oil on canvas, 28¾ x 36¼”. Art Institute of Chicago
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Shape: Geometric and Organic Shapes
Shapes can be classified into two types: geometric and organic
Organic shapes are made up of unpredictable, irregular lines that suggest the natural world
Geometric shapes are mathematically regular and precise
1.19 Geometric and Organic Shapes
1.20 Miriam Schapiro, Baby Blocks, 1983. Collage on paper, 29⅞ x 30”. University of South Florida Collection, Tampa
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Implied Shape
Implied shapes are shapes we can see where no continuous boundary exists
1.21 Implied shapes
1.22 Saul Bass, Bass & Yager, AT&T logo, 1984
Chapter 1.1 Art in Two Dimensions: Line, Shape, and the Principle of Contrast
PART 1FUNDAMENTALS
Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields
Contrast
When an artist uses two noticeably different states of an element, he or she is applying the principle of contrast
1.23a Shepard Fairey, Obey, 1996. Campaign poster
1.23b Shepard Fairey, Obey, 1996. View of the posters as they were installed in public
1.24 Georgia O’Keeffe, Music—Pink and Blue II, 1919. Oil on canvas, 35 x 29⅛”. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
1.25 Al Grivetti, Big Ten logo, 1991
1.26 M. C. Escher, Sky and Water I, 1938. Woodcut, 17⅛ x 17⅜”. The M. C. Escher Company, Netherlands
1.27 Banner of Las Navas de Tolosa, 1212–50. Silk and gilt thread tapestry, 10’10” x 7’2⅝”. Monasterio de las Huelgas, Museo de Telas Medievales, Burgos, Spain