Gestalt

Gestalt is a German word that means many parts making a whole. The parts on their own do not make an image, but when they are put together the image appears.




IMAGE CITATION:
Kator, Andrew. "Quick Tips in Design." About This Particular Macintosh. 2003. 27 Sep 2007 .

Composition Image

What is value?

Everyone has their own idea of what value is, and even what their own value is. Some people believe that they deserve to be treated as professional artists as soon as they start, while others realize that they have to work to earn a title. My dream is to be a free-lance photographer and have my own studio, but I know that in order to make my dream a reality I have to strive in some jobs that I may not want. Majorities of people, no matter their profession, have to start at the lowest position and earn promotions. As you work your way through the field, you have to be able to show that you can make even the most boring jobs interesting and maybe even enjoyable. For artists, some of the jobs may not even have anything to do with art, but in society today everyone has to have a steady income to survive. However, when the jobs are in the art field, a true artist should be able to take any project given to them and make it their own. They should be able to add their own soul into a project, even if they are not excited about it. At the same time you should be keeping a portfolio, making contacts in other organizations, maybe even other fields of study.
Connections that are made throughout your life are of great value. Many of my own personal work opportunities have come from either connections I have made on my own, or connections my parents have introduced me to. I have jobs lined up for when I am home for breaks from college. I would not have these chances if it were not for the people I have met throughout my life. The old saying that who you know is more important then what you know can be true at certain times. Knowing the right people can get you a job, but being able to thrive in that position is what helps you retain that position or even raise you higher.
The value of everything changes over time. You have to be willing to change in order to keep your own value at its peak.

Assignment 3 - String Project

The string project that we completed showed us that lines could go in any direction and by mixing several lines together, shapes are created. We also saw how adding in other objects such as stools, chairs, computers, and tables allowed us to vary the shapes much more easily.
During the string project, we all worked separately and did not necessarily explain what we were doing to each other. Had we all worked together and communicated more, our strings would have been more united instead of extremely chaotic. Our project would have been more creative as well if we had worked together. Emilia created a man on the floor using the string, but had we talked to each other more we would have been able to incorporate the design into the entirety of the project.
Once our project was completed we were shown images of the same project finished by three other classes. As we were viewing these photographs, we began saying how much more creative their string designs were. Other classes used people in their design and stacked chairs on top of one another to give more height to their design. We made these comments without having seen our own design from above. Most of us did not stand on the tables and see all of the strings from a higher perspective. From the other classes' images, we saw many ways that we could improve our own design. We also kept in mind that we had to clean everything up, so we tried to make it not as complicated. Had we not cared so much about the cleaning up aspect, our project could have been much more elaborate.

Line vs. Shape

Which of the images (a,b,c,or d) are lines?
All of these images could constitute a line. The thickness and direction of the line may change, but all the images create lines. Image A would get thicker at the top if it were extended, but it would still be a line. If you look at it in a certain way, it seems to be a line or path that is in perspective, getting smaller as it reaches the horizon line.

Which of the images (a, b, c, or d) are shapes?
The thickness in which each of these images were made allows all of them to be shapes. Image D and C seem most like shapes to me. At first glance, image C is recognized as a rectangle, and image A is a triangle. We are taught to think this way from before we start school.

What makes a line?
A line is a focal point for your eye; it leads your eye around the space it occupies.

What makes a shape?
A shape is an image that is created by lines. They may be curved lines, or straight lines. The type of lines used; however, do help to determine the mood of the image created.

Critique 1

Throughout the image, created by Wassily Kandinsky, there are both implied and direct lines. The implied lines are created by two colors meeting each other. The black lines in the composition are lines used to split up the shapes even more; they also help to create movement through the piece. Many of the shapes are positioned next to their complimentary color on one side, blue and orange, purple and yellow. Contrast is brought into the painting through the different shapes, some are straight, hard lines, while others are smooth, rounded shapes. The black lines stand out not only because of the much darker color, but they appear more solid than the other colors. This is also seen by the colors change in value while the black stays the same darkness.
The lightness of the shapes makes the image seem soft and comforting. By not have borders surrounding the shapes, even the straight edges seem more relaxed and soothing. I feel as though the value changes throughout the colors increases the meditative feeling as well. It seems to say that on the outside things seem dark and sturdy, but as you get further away from outside influences, things become softer and more open. The black lines show that there will always be outside forces wanting to break into anything around it.