Chapter1.6Notes PDF

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This is notes over 1.6, unity, variety and balance....

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1.6 - Unity, Variety and Balance Unity- creating order or wholeness, the opposite of disorder - Is the central in creation of work of art or design - Refers to the imposition of order and harmony on a design - Artists use the principle of unity to make choices that link visual elements to each other in a composition Variety- the diversity of different ideas, media, and elements in a work - Expressed in contrast and difference, which create visual interest and excitement. Balance- the distribution of elements, whether unified or varied, within a work - The number and distribution of different elements influence the composition - Balance in visual art is much like the balance we experience in real life

Unity: Compositional Unity- an artist creates compositional unity by organizing all the visual aspects of a work. This kind of harmony is not easy to achieve. Conceptual Unity- refers to the cohesive expression of ideas within a work of art. Ideas can come to us in haphazed and unpredictable ways, sometimes the expression of these ideas may not look organize, but are still communicated effectively by selecting images that conjure up a single notion  Feathers, kites, balloons. Each of these share a common idea, and is emphasized when they are placed together in the same work.

Gestalt Unity- Gestalt is a German word for form or shape, refers to something in which the whole seems greater than the sum of its parts. The composition and ideas that go to make a work of art- as well as our experiences of it- combine to create gestalt.  We get a sense of gestalt when we comprehend how compositional unity and conceptual unity work together.

Variety:  “Variety is the spice of life” – it also the spice of the visual world.  In art, variety is a collection of ideas, elements, materials that are fused together into one design.  Artists use a multiplicity of values, textures, colors and so on to intensify the impact of a work  It is unusual to see a good composition that has just one type of value, shape or color  Variety can be unifying, an artist can create visual harmony through different shapes, colors, and other elements.

Balance:  Symmetrical Balance- work that can be cut in half and each side looks exactly or nearly exactly the same. - Exists in the human body - Can seem very natural and we can make natural connections to it  Asymmetrical Balance- applies when the elements on the left and right sides are not the same, but the combination of elements counters each other.  Radial Balance- achieved when all elements in a work are equidistant from a central point and repeat in a symmetrical way form side to side and top to bottom. - Sometimes used in religious symbols and architecture - Can be something other than a round shape

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