Friday, October 25, 2013

The Principles of Art Applied to Literature

      The principles of art, sometimes referred to as the principles of composition or the principles of design, are a set of ideals that an artists lives by. Through these principles, the elements of art - shape, color, line, etc. - come together to form a work of art. The artist employs the principles of design to control the elements of their choice, to exercise their will upon a chosen aspect of their composition. For example: An artist might use the principle of Balance to bring their shapes and lines into an aesthetically pleasing arrangement that allows the eye to comfortably wander the canvas. Or perhaps the artist will choose to use Emphasis to illustrate the importance of a certain texture or color. All of these principles are at play in every work of art in any medium, either together, or in singularity. However, it is not only in art that these guiding principles are found. Indeed, these principles of composition can be seen in the works of the skilled writer.

      Allow us to explore the principles of art and their application to literature and writing:

17th Century "Fish Nets Drying in the Sun" By Kaiho Yusho

Rhythm:

      To start things off, let us examine the principle of Rhythm. Rhythm is most easily expressed through the idea of time and cycles. We think of Rhythm in human terms as the passage of time and the rhythmic cycles such as the phases of the moon and the changing of the seasons. The most obvious display of Rhythm is dance and music. But art too uses Rhythm.
      In art, Rhythm is employed by repetition. The repetition of lines, shapes, or textures bring a Rhythm to a piece of art. For example: longer swooping lines add a slow vibration to a work, while short snappy lines invoke quickness and rapidity.
      As for literature, poetry is the prime example of Rhythm in writing. Poetry uses rhyme and meter to arrange words and lines in a rhythmic stance. Many poetic pieces are designed to be read aloud or recited. This natural employment of Rhythm in poetry allows for the poem to flow as the orator reads the lines. Just as lines in art can lend to slower or faster Rhythms, the lies of a poem affect how slow or fast the piece is read. Longer lines give a poem a slower and melodic feel, while short choppy lines add a sense of quickness to the piece.

1931 "Cow's Skull with Calico Roses" By Georgia O'Keeffe

Balance:

      Balance is all about strategic placement. One of the most exemplary American artists to use Balance was Georgia O'Keeffe. By using symmetry, a piece of art can come into balance, adding visual appeal. When it comes to Balance, there are two types to consider: symmetrical Balance and asymmetrical Balance.
      Symmetrical Balance occurs when a piece is nearly perfectly balanced on the center of gravity and the axis. Asymmetrical Balance on the other hand occurs when one portion of a work appears visually heaver than the other.
      Balance in art is used to ensure that the viewer's eye never get caught or stuck in one area. Balance can be used in a similar fashion in literature.
      In writing it is important to keep the attention of the reader, just as it is important in art to keep the interest of viewer. By Balancing a piece of literature the reader should remain interested and alert, not fading away to be lost in the pages. For poetry, meter, as discussed in "Rhythm," can be applied here to Balance. By employing a steady meter, the balance of the lines in a poem should keep the piece in line. Organization of line length, vocabulary, and overall direction, are all elements of Balance in literature.
      For literary works, a writer must walk a steady line on content. To keep a reader interested a writer must not find themselves rambling or stumbling off-topic too often. It is important to remain on the task at hand. However, if a piece is too serious, or too flighty it may fall apart. There are many different ways to balance the mood of a piece of literature. For example, in play-writing, it is common for actors to pause and issue an aside. An aside is a special note from the actor communicated only to the audience. These asides are often comedic and add a release to tension in some cases.

1905-06 "Le Bonheur de Vivre" By Henri Matisse

Unity & Variety:

      Unity and Variety often go hand-in-hand in art. Any piece of art strives to connect Variety in a United format. When thinking of Unity and Variety it is easiest to picture them as a scale or spectrum, one extreme is completely bland and the other is chaotic; it is key for an artist to find the perfect balance between the two.
      The combination of Unity and Variety in once piece can be achieved in several ways. A painter can arrange a Variety of choice colors across their canvas in a way that Unifies the entire theme as a whole. This arrangement closely connects with Balance. Two masters of Unity and Variety are artists Henri Matisse and Jackson Pollock. The key to harmonizing Unity and Variety is finding a balancing point where the Variety of shapes, colors, lines, textures, or light come together to for a coherent Unity. The idea of Unity and Variety is to entertain the viewer's eyes, allowing them to see the balance and placement of different aspects, forcing the eye to follow the work through its entirety.
      In literature, Unity and Variety play a great role in entertaining the reader. As we discussed in "Balance," a piece needs to keep the reader interested. This can be done by  employing a Variety of lines in a work, such as using both longer lines and shorter lines. Or by using a Variety of vocabulary, some lengthy high-class words, with some other more simplistic words. The hardest part about this is finding the right balance. If a piece uses too many long sentences, a reader might become lost or disinterested; use too many short lines and piece might seem too simple and thoughtless. Use the spectrum of Unity and Variety to achieve the best balance for a work of literature.

1814-15 "Execution of the Third of May, 1808" By Francisco de Goya

Emphasis:

      Emphasis is perhaps a very obvious principle, as it should be. Emphasis is the act of placing significance or importance on one part of a piece than on another. This can be done by using light to exemplify and strengthen a specific aspect of the work, or by using complementary colors in stark contrast. In simplest terms, Emphasis adds importance. On the other end of Emphasis is Subordination, the use of downplaying certain aspects so as to make something else seem more important.
      In literature, one of the best tools used to add Emphasis is repetition. The repetition of a certain object or phrase can add importance or relevance to a piece. This can be seen is such works as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, The Black Cat, or The Masque of the Red Death. These tales all use repetition to Emphasize a certain aspect of the work.


1950 "Le Chariot" By Alberto Giacometti

Scale & Proportion:

      Scale and Proportion are more easily seen in art than in literature, but the significance is nonetheless important. In art, Scale and Proportion are used to add a new element of perspective to something, such as enlarging a simple object to extreme size or distorting the size of a figure's head in comparison to its body.
      In art, as in literature, the whimsical idea of shrunken people or giant worlds has been used for a long time and can be seen in works such as The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and even The Lord of the Rings. However, this is more of content than application.
      When writing, the author must keep in mind their audience and the purpose of their work. It is important to think about the Scale and Proportion of a piece when writing. A good example would be to compare the poetry of Emily Dickinson to Homer's The Iliad or The Odyssey. These two works couldn't be more different in Scale or Proportion. When thinking of what kind of piece is to be written, it is imperative that Scale and Proportion come into thought.


      As we can see, the principles of art can be applied to writing and literature just as they are applied to canvas and clay. By examining art, one can come to understand literature.

Reference material: Mark Getlein: Living with Art

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