Art and Nature: The Elements and Principles of Art (applied)

My Scribble Art

Elements of Art

1.      Lines:  My scribble drawing has soft curves and waves that lead the eye around the drawing.  Within the drawing are some sharp lines.  These lines give the drawing a needed contrast to the rounded lines.

2.      Shapes: Many of the shapes are freeform surrounding the circle which dominates the drawing.  However, several triangles balance the roundness of the circle.

3.      Color:  The colors are the warm palette of yellow, orange, and red.  These analogous colors are bright in their intensity.  However the pink and yellow colors are mixed with white and the maroon color is mixed with black.  The yellow and pink become decreased in value, while the maroon becomes increased in value, thereby creating a subtle contrast.

Principles of Design

1.      Balance:  The placement of the same colors on either half balances the painting in a symmetrical sense.  The two halves are not exactly alike but have enough dominant red and orange colors to offset the purple and pink colors.  Meanwhile, the purple and pink shapes also balance each other as well.

2.      Variety:  Variety is achieved by the purple and pink shapes.  In the middle is the maroon shape which differs from both the red and orange shapes.  Meanwhile, the yellow shapes perk up the reds and oranges, and offers excitement to the viewer.  Adding to the round shapes are the variety of the pointed shapes among them.

3.      Harmony:  The rounded shapes and analogous colors blend together, and flow from one space to another.

4.      Emphasis:  The eye is attracted to the purple oval dot and later to the pink triangle.  Then the orange spike attracts the eye leading it to the yellow and purple areas.

5.      Rhythm and movement:  A soft rhythm comes through the alternating red and orange shapes, and the roundish and sharper shapes.  Movement comes from the yellow shapes on either side of the orange shapes on the circle’s circumference.

Art and Nature: Art for Art's Sake (2 of 2)

These two artists changed my thinking about the purpose of art.  The artist statement by Jose Clemente Orozco (Mexican 1883-1949) concerning his mural “The Epic of American Civilization” (1932-1934) further cemented my new perceptions. He said (his capitals) “IN every painting, as in any other work of art, there is always an IDEA, never a STORY. The idea is the point of departure, the first cause of the plastic construction, and it is present all the time as energy creating matter. The stories and other literary associations exist only in the mind of the spectator, the painting acting as the stimulus.” 

The value of the art lies therefore within the viewer.  For example viewing paintings by Stuart Davis (American, 1894-1964) is an experience in lyricism.  Davis explored how painting was like music through colors, shape, and words.  Each painting reflects the pulse of a place, rather than the place itself.  A forefather of the Pop Art Movement, Davis translated squiggly lines and flashing colors into striking visual images.

Another example music explored as painting is “Jazz” (1947) by Henri Matisse (French, 1869-1954).  With his painted cutouts and bright colors, Matisse created the visual aspect of jazz.  His designs experimented with rhythm and repetition that was broken by improvisation much like jazz music.

In contrast, the Neoclassism Movement (1760-1850) regarded art to be a medium to uplift and enlighten the spectator.  Subjects from ancient Greece and Rome were plumbed for their ability to morally educate people.  The purpose of art was therefore to promote ethical behavior for all classes.  Hence, “The Stone Breakers” (Gustave Courbet, 1849) or “The Man with the Hoe – L’homme a la loue” (Jean-Francois Millet, 1860-1862) was scandalous.  Menial labor was not a worthy topic for art.  

What is considered art changes in various eras.  Menial labor instead of abstract art can be a vehicle to contemplate life.  From my experiences in studying art, I learnt that art for art’s sake encompasses a wide variety of art.  It is up to the viewer to decide how to regard it.  Art simply is.  It has no other purpose than to simply be.  In his principles of aesthetics, Immanuel Kant (German, 1724- 1804) stressed that the object of art should exist only for itself.  Art becomes a vehicle for the observer to engage with it.

I now agree with Oscar Wilde (Irish, 1854-1900) on beauty and art.  He said, “Aestheticism is a search after the signs of the beautiful.  It is the science of the beautiful through which men seek the correlation of the arts.  It is to speak more exactly the search after the secret of life.”  Art for art’s sake prompts us to seek beauty.  We contemplate the art and discover life.  We can look at Pollock’s drip paintings or “The Stone Breakers” as a window on life beyond our senses.

Works Used

Arnold, Michael, “Stuart Davis, American Painter, 1894-1964” Simply Art, 2011, http://www.michaelarnoldart.com/Stuart%20Davis.htm,

Coyle, Laurie and Rick Tejada-Flores, “OROZCO: Man of Fire”, Paradigm Productions, 2007, http://www.paradigmproductions.org/films/orozco/?c=synopsis, 

Dabrowski, Magdalena, “Henri Matisse (1869–1954)”, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mati/hd_mati.htm,

Essak, Shelley, “All About Art History”, About.com, http://arthistory.about.com/,

---, “Guide to Art History”, ArtHistory.net, 2009, http://www.arthistory.net/,

Janson, H.W. and Dora Jane Janson, “The Story of Painting”, Harry N Abrams: New York, 1966.

Horsley, Carter, “Mumbo Jumbo and Mud Pies: Jackson Pollock”, The City Review, 1999, http://www.thecityreview.com/pollock.html,

---, “Matisse: Life and Painting”, Henri Matisse.net, 2011, http://www.henri-matisse.net/index.html,

---, “Orozco – An Epic of American Civilization”, Dartmouth College, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/Orozco/epic.html,

Slater, Barry, “Aesthetics”, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, July 2005, http://www.iep.utm.edu/aestheti/,

---, “Willem de Kooning”, The Art Story: Modern Art Movement, 2011, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-de-kooning-willem.htm,

Art and Nature: Aethestics

The concept of “aesthetics” can range from the nature of beauty to the philosophy of art.  The core focus of aesthetics involves human notions of beauty.  “What is art” is the question that the philosophy of aesthetics strives to address.

Since the notions of art and beauty have been examined over the centuries, the topic of aesthetics have become a broad and complex one.  In the 1700s, the noted philosopher Immanuel Kant tried to codify Western European society’s’ definitions of aesthetics.  He laid out four aspects of aesthetics to consider for the attainment of beauty.  First is that the object exists for itself, and has no other purpose.  Second is the objectivity of the piece.  Third is the disinterest of the viewer who has no emotional investment in the art.  And finally, the piece is enjoyed as it is and no other meaning than to exist (Art for art’s sake).

Aesthetics then becomes a system of how to perceive art.  Aesthetics can be the matrix of how we see art such as how we respond to color, line, shape, texture, and value.  We can see the formal qualities of the art or understand the metaphysics of the piece.  How do we engage with the art determine our sense of aesthetics.  

José Clemente Orozco (Mexico, 1888-1949) said, “Painting assails the mind.  It persuades the heart.”  Many lay people would agree with that.  We see a work of art and have an emotional reaction to it.  Then aesthetics could guide us in how we respond and why.

In the 19^th Century, a movement called the Aesthetic Movement came into being.  This movement was a reaction to the ongoing Industrial Revolution.  Various artists wanted to restore the sense of beauty that was lost.  They wanted to turn ordinary household objects such as furniture, ceramics, and even books into works of art.  The artists strove to have ordinary people be surrounded by beauty.