And now.... the way to talk and think about art: The Elements & Principles of Design

Think of it this way..... The ELEMENTS of design are like the tools a builder uses to construct something. The PRINCIPLES of design are what the builder can make with those tools. The ELEMENTS of Design are: Line Shape (2D) Form (3D) Value (light / dark) Color Texture The PRINCIPLES of Design are: Contrast Composition Rhythm / Movement Repetition (A)Symmetry / Balance Emphasis Unity Proportion

Cy Twombly Untitled house paint and crayon on canvas San Francisco Museum of Modern Art 1971 Line

Color

Shape

Ellsworth Kelly Red/Blue MMoCA Minneapolis, MN 1964

Texture

Contrast (value)

Movement / rhythm

Balance / Symmetry

Frank Gehry Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao Spain c. 1997

Unity Theme & Variation

Repetition

Emphasis

Proportion

Now let’s see how you do with the following works:

Texture Color

Ok.... Let’s see if you can identify the ELEMENTS of DESIGN in the following works: Line Texture Movement / rhythm

Repetition

Texture Congolese Power Figure (Nail Fetish Figure) Smithsonian Museums, Washington DC c

Shape / Color

Unity / Harmony Shape Color

Louise Nevelson Untitled 1958 Tate Museum, London

Proportion

Movement Texture Shape Color Unity

Rhythm / MovementRepetition

Line movement

Proportion Balance (?)

Contrast

Repetition Color

Theme & Variation Unity

Proportion

Emphasis / Contrast