Elements of Art: Space | KQED Arts

Summary

This script delves into the critical role of space in art, highlighting its integration with the environment in site-specific works. It distinguishes between positive and negative space, and how artists manipulate them to create depth. The script also explores techniques like overlapping, perspective, and color value to convey three-dimensionality in two-dimensional art. It encourages viewers to appreciate artists' unique approaches to space and to consider space when creating their own art, enhancing style and communication.

Takeaways

• 🎨 Space is an integral part of any artwork, often playing a crucial role in site-specific installations where the artwork is designed for a particular space.
• 🌐 Site-specific art is inseparable from its environment, highlighting the importance of the space in which it exists.
• 🖼️ Space is one of the seven elements of art, alongside line, shape, form, texture, value, and color, emphasizing its foundational role in artistic composition.
• 📐 In two-dimensional art, space is typically contained within the borders of the medium, with positive and negative space interacting to create visual interest.
• 🤔 Artists sometimes blur the line between positive and negative space to challenge viewers' perceptions and add depth to their work.
• 🗻 Three-dimensional art forms like sculpture use positive space for the physical presence of objects and negative space for the areas surrounding them.
• 🌄 Techniques such as overlapping, perspective, and size variation are used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space in two-dimensional works.
• 👀 The use of relative size can imply depth, with smaller figures appearing more distant, as seen in the paintings by Ben Shahn.
• 🌈 Varying hues and values contribute to the illusion of depth, as demonstrated by Georgia O'Keefe's use of red values to create a sense of space.
• 🔍 Artists use space in diverse ways, such as dense, open, cluttered, symmetrical, shallow, or flat, to convey different moods and messages.
• 💡 Developing a unique approach to space in one's artwork can enhance the communication of intended messages and contribute to an artist's distinctive style.

Q & A

What is site-specific art and how does it relate to space?

Site-specific art is designed exclusively for one particular space, making it impossible to isolate the artwork from its surrounding environment. This type of art considers the space and its transformation as integral to the artwork itself.

How is space categorized within the 7 elements of art?

Space is one of the 7 elements of art, alongside line, shape, form, texture, value, and color. It refers to the area in which an artwork is organized, including both the area within and around the artwork.

What is the difference between positive and negative space in art?

In art, positive space refers to the area occupied by the main objects, while negative space is the area surrounding them. In two-dimensional works, positive space is within the borders of the canvas or paper, and negative space is the area outside these objects.

How do artists blur the boundaries between positive and negative space?

Artists may intentionally blur the boundaries by overlapping elements, using techniques that play with the viewer's perception, or by employing visual tricks that make it difficult to distinguish where one space ends and another begins.

How does three-dimensional space differ from two-dimensional space in art?

In three-dimensional art, positive space is the actual volume occupied by objects, and negative space is the surrounding area. In contrast, two-dimensional art creates the illusion of three-dimensional space through techniques like overlapping, size variation, and perspective.

What techniques does Kehinde Wiley use to create a sense of three-dimensional space in his portraits?

Kehinde Wiley creates a sense of three-dimensional space by overlapping background patterns onto the front of the subjects in his portraits, which gives a visual cue of depth.

How does landscape painter Wang Wei imply three-dimensional space in his paintings?

Wang Wei implies three-dimensional space by placing objects at different levels on the canvas, making figures at the top appear to recede into the distance, even if they are of similar size.

What is the effect of using relative size to create the illusion of space in art?

Using relative size in art can create the illusion of depth, as smaller figures or objects are perceived as being further away, adding a sense of perspective and space to the artwork.

How does contrast in focus contribute to the perception of depth in photography?

In photography, a contrast between sharply focused figures and blurry backgrounds can create a sense of depth, as it mimics the way our eyes perceive objects in focus as closer and out-of-focus objects as more distant.

What role do hues and values play in creating the illusion of depth in two-dimensional works?

Varying hues and values can give two-dimensional works the illusion of depth by suggesting shadows, light sources, and atmospheric effects, which are cues our brains use to perceive three-dimensional space.

How does Alex Roulette use perspective to create expansive space in his paintings?

Alex Roulette employs single and two-point perspective techniques in his work, which help to create a sense of depth and expansiveness by showing objects converging towards a vanishing point.

What are some ways artists describe their use of space in their artwork?

Artists may describe their use of space as dense, open, cluttered, symmetrical, shallow, or flat, which are terms that reflect the visual organization and the emotional impact of the space in their artwork.