Shape, Form, and Space

1. Shape, Form, and Space Chapter 6ArtTalk Textbook

2. Shape and Form, and Space • Shape is the element of art that refers to a two-dimensional area that is defined by some kind of boundary. • Form is the element of art that refers to a three-dimensional object. In essence, the difference between shape and form is that shape is 2-D and form is 3-D. • Space isthe element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects.

3. Shape • Shape is a two-dimensional area that is defined in some way. • A shape may have an outline or a boundary around it, or you may recognized it by its area (i.e. a shadow) • Shapes exist on a flat surface only – they have length and width, but no volume. • There are two types of shape – geometric shapes and free-form shapes. Jasper Johns. Cups 4 Picasso. 1972 Lithograph. 22 1/8” x 32 1/4”. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. Gift of Ceseste Bartos.

4. Geometric Shapes • Geometric shapes are precise shapes that can be described using mathematical formulas. • The basic geometric shapes are the circle, the square, and the triangle. All other geometric shapes are variations or combinations of these. • Variations include the rectangle, parallelogram, trapezoid, pentagon, hexagon, and octagon. • Geometric shapes are used for decoration, uniformity, and organization

5. Free-form Shapes • Free-form shapes are irregular and uneven shapes. • Free-form shapes can be curved, angular, or a combination of the two. • Free-form shapes often occur in nature. They can be the silhouettes of animals, people, or trees.

6. Forms • Forms are objects having three dimensions – length, width, and depth. (Shape only has length and width). • Like shapes, forms can also be geometric and/or free-form. David Smith, Cubi VI. 1963. The Israel Museum, Jerusalem. Hans (Jean) Arp. Group Mediterranee. C 1941-1965. Bronze. 31”x36”x20” Jean Arp, Head and Shell. c. 1933. Polished brass. 7 1/4 x 7 7/8 inches. Peggy Guggenheim Collection. New York.

7. Space • Shapes and forms exist in space. • Space is the element of art that refers to the emptiness or area between, around, above, below, or within objects. All objects take up space. • Shapes and forms are defined by the space around and within them. They depend on space for their existence. Jasper Johns. Cups 4 Picasso. 1972 Lithograph. 22 1/8” x 32 1/4”. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY. Gift of Ceseste Bartos. M. C. Escher, Day and Night. 1938. Woodcut in black and gray, printed from two blocks39.1 x 67.7 cm (15 3/8 x 26 5/8 in.).

8. Positive and Negative Space • Shapes and forms take up positive space. One way to think about it is that the objects in a picture are the positive space. • The empty space between the objects is called negative space or ground. • The shape and size of negative space affects the way you interpret positive space. • Large amounts of negative space around the positive space can express loneliness or freedom. • When positive space is crowded and jam-packed, you can feel tension or togetherness. Edward Hopper, House by the Railroad. 1925. Oil on canvas. 24 x 29 in. (60.9 x 73.6 cm.) Rupert Garcia, Political Prisoner. 1976. Pastel on paper. 122 x 91.5 cm (48 x 36”). National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institurion, Washington, D.C.

9. Space in Three-Dimensional Art • Over, under, through, behind, and around are words that describe 3-dimensional space. 3-D art forms include architecture, sculpture, weaving, ceramics, and jewelry. Holograms are images in 3 dimensions created with a laser beam. • Freestanding art means the art is surrounded by negative space – you can walk around it. • Relief sculpture projects out from a flat surface. Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, 1848-1907), Amor Caritas. 1880-98, this cast 1918. Gilded-bronze relief. Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. Hologram

10. Perceiving Shape, Form, and Space • Your eyes and brain work together to see length, width, and depth so you perceive the world around you in 3-D. Each eye sees an object from a slightly different angle. To see this, point to an object. Close one eye, then the other. Your finger appears to have moved.

11. Point of View • Point of view is the angle from which the viewer appears to see into the artwork. • 3 Points of view • Bird’s eye view – seen from above the subject looking down into the picture plane. • Viewer eye level – seen straight ahead in front of the viewer. This is the most common point of view. • Worm’s eye view – seen from below the subject looking up into the picture plane. • The artist determines the point of view by manipulating the placement of the horizon line in the picture plane. Bird’s eye view of London Viewer eye level Worm’s eye view

12. Point of ViewExamples of Birds Eye View

13. Point of ViewExamples of Eye Level J.M.W. Turner, The Battle of Trafalgar. 1824. Oil on canvas.

14. Point of ViewExamples of Worm’s Eye View

15. Creating the Illusion of Depth Using Value • Artists can create the illusion of 3-dimensions on a flat surface by using changes in value (art element that describes the lightness or darkness of an object). • The arrangement of light and shadow is called chiaroscuro. Another way to describe chiaroscuro is modeling or shading. Leonardo da Vinci, Head of the Virgin in Three-Quarter View.

16. Creating the Illusion of DepthUsing Value • In order to create the illusion of depth using value, the artist has to use highlights and shadows. • Highlights are the small areas of white used to show the very brightest spots. • Shadows are the areas that receive the least amount of light, and can be almost black. Eugene Delacroix,Orphan Girl at the Cemetery. 1824. Oil on canvas. 66 x 54 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris Thomas Eakins, Portrait of Maud Cook. 1895. Oil on canvas. 24 x 20 inches. Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut

17. The Picture Plane • The Picture Plane is the surface of a painting or drawing and consists of three parts: • Foreground • Middle Ground • Background Grant Wood, Stone City, Iowa. 1930. 30 1/4 X 40 inches Joslyn Art Museum. Thomas Hart Benton, Embarkation. C. 1942

18. The Picture PlaneForeground • The foreground in the picture plane is the part that appears closest to the viewer, usually the bottom third or half of the picture plane. Andrew Wyeth, Marriage. 1993. Andrew Wyeth, Night Sleeper. 1979.

19. The Picture PlaneMiddle Ground • The area in between the foreground and the background is called the middle ground. • The middle ground is usually in the center one-third to one-half of the picture plane. • The subject is usually found in the middle ground. Diego Rivera, La Era. 1904. Oil on canvas. Diego Rivera Museum, Guanajuato, Mex

20. The Picture PlaneBackground • The part of the picture plane that appears farthest away from the viewer is the background. • The background is usually in the top third to half of the picture plane. Henri Matisse, La leçon de musique (The Music Lesson). 1917. Oil on canvas. 244.7 x 200.7 cm (96 3/8 x 79 in); Barnes Foundation, Merion, PA

21. Perspective • Perspective is a graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two-dimensional surface. • Techniques to use to create perspective are: • Overlapping • Size • Placement • Detail • Color • Converging Lines

22. PerspectiveOverlapping • Overlapping is when one object covers a second object. The first object appears to be in front of the second object, therefore appearing closer in space.

23. PerspectiveSize • Large objects appear closer to the viewer. Smaller objects appear further away.

24. PerspectivePlacement • Objects placed low on the picture plane seem to be closer than objects placed near eye level. The most distant objects seem to be at eye level.

25. PerspectiveDetail • Objects with clear, sharp edges and visible details appear to be closer to the viewer than objects that are hazy and/or lack detail.

26. PerspectiveColor • Brightly colored objects appear closer than dull, muted colors. This is because the air around us is not empty. It is full of moisture and dust that creates a haze. This is called atmospheric perspective. Pierre Auguste Renoir, La loge (The Theater Box). 1874. Oil on canvas. 80 x 63.5 cm (31 1/2 x 25"). Courtauld Institute Galleries, London Henri Rousseau,Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest (Femme se promenant dans une foret exotique). 1905. Oil on canvas. 39 3/8 x 31 3/4 in. (99.9 x 80.7 cm). The Barnes Foundation, Merion, Pennsylvania

27. PerspectiveConverging Lines • As parallel lines move away from the viewer into the distance, they appear to come together or converge on the horizon. This is called linear perspective.

28. Linear Perspective 1-Point Perspective • The point at which parallel lines converge on the horizon is called a vanishing point. • In 1-point perspective, all receding lines meet at a single vanishing point. • In 2-point perspective, different sets of parallel lines meet at 2 different vanishing points. • Because 2-point perspective creates more diagonal lines in a painting, the painting appears to be more active. 2-Point Perspective 2-Point Perspective

29. 1-Point Perspective

30. 2-Point Perspective Jan Vermeer, The Music Lesson. c. 1662-65. Oil on canvas. 74.6 x 64.1 cm. Royal Collection, St. James' Palace, London.

31. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • Freeform shapes/forms symbolize living things. Smooth, curved outlines and surfaces are pleasing and soothing – they create a comfortable feeling. They appeal to us through memories of pleasant touching experiences.

32. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • Angular shapes with zigzag outlines and forms with pointed projections remind us of sharp, jagged things that hurt (i.e. broken glass, sharp knives). We tend to be very cautious and nervous about these shapes/forms. Edvard Munch. The Village Street. 1905/06. Oil on canvas. 100 x 105 cm. Munch Museum, Oslo, Norway. Francis Bacon, Figure with Meat. 1954. Oil on canvas. 129.9 x 121.9 cm (51 1/8 x 48 in.). Art Institute of Chicago

33. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • Geometric shapes/forms suggest mechanical perfection. The lines, contours and surfaces of geometric shapes/forms appeal to our sense and need for order. These tend to be unemotional, and can express a total lack of feeling. • Geometric shapes/forms appeal to viewers minds rather than to their emotions.

34. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • The density of an object refers to how compact it is. Dense materials are solid and heavy (i.e. granite or lead). • Dense objects express something solid, unyielding, that will resist impact. Dense objects are associated with protection. • Soft, fluffy forms feel more comfortable and warmer emotionally.. • Density in 3-D objects (forms) can be seen through the actual material used – whether heavy or light. • Density in 2-D can be represented through shading techniques, hard-edge contours, or soft, curved contours. Richard Serra, Fulcrum. 1987. 55 ft. freestanding sculpture of Corten Steel. Liverpool Street Station, London. John Constable, The White Horse. 1819. Oil on canvas. 51 3/4 x 74 1/8 in. (131.4 x 188.3 cm). Frick Collection, New York

35. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • Openshapes/forms appear inviting. They say, “Come in”. An open door or open structure invites you to come in and look. • Closed shapes/forms appear solid and self-contained and keep people out. Hillip Johnson, Johnson House. 1949. New Canaan, Connecticut.

36. The Expressiveness of Shape and Form • Active shapes/forms seem to defy gravity. They slant diagonally as if they are falling or running. However, if you balance 2 diagonal objects against each other, they result in a static shape. • Static shapes/forms are firmly fixed in position and tend to evoke quiet, calm feelings. The direction of these shapes/forms is usually horizontal. Frank Lloyd Wright, Falling Water. 1935. Mill Run, Pennsylvania.

37. Meet the ArtistMichael Naranjo • Michael Naranjo is a Tea Indian of the Santa Clara Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico. His mother was a potter, so he grew up working with clay. • Naranjo lost his eyesight and was severely injured in Vietnam in the late 60’s. He started modeling with clay, and while in the hospital in Denver, he made an Indian whipping a horse across the plain. • Now Naranjo works in wax, stone and clay. He gets his ideas from things he saw in the past and has to visualize from his mind, which takes a long time. • Because each sculpture takes so long, Michael Naranjo only produces a few sculptures a year. Michael Naranjo, Justice.

38. Objective Assessment – Building VocabularyWrite the entire definition, then add the term that best matches the definition. • A two-dimensional area that is defined in some way. • Precise shapes that can be described using mathematical formulas. • Irregular and uneven shapes. • Objects having three dimensions. • The element of art that refers to the area between, around, above, below, or within objects.

39. Objective Assessment – Building VocabularyWrite the entire definition, then add the term that best matches the definition. • Images in three dimensions created with a laser beam. • The arrangement of light and shadow. • Small areas of white used to show the very brightest spots. • A graphic system that creates the illusion of depth and volume on a two-dimensional surface.

40. Objective Assessment – Reviewing Art FactsWrite the following questions and then the answer. • Name the two basic types of shapes and tell which is more often used for decorative purposes. • What is the difference between shapes and forms? • By what are shapes and forms defined? • Name the two kinds of space found in art? • Using a portrait as an example, name the kind of space the subject occupies. • Explain how each eye can be a different point of view.

41. Objective Assessment – Reviewing Art FactsWrite the following questions and then the answer. • Explain how an artist is able to create the illusion of three-dimensional form on a two-dimensional surface. • Name and describe the six devices for creating perspective in drawing. • Name and describe two kinds of perspective. • Give an example of an active shape and tell what makes it look active. • Give an example of a static shape and tell what makes it look motionless, or stable.