1. Visual Unity/Harmony

2. No organization: Chaotic

3. No organization: a mess

4. No organization: no part of the image is more important the any other. It is an ‘all-over’ image, allowing the viewer to scan the entirety rather than zoom in on any one part. Jackson Pollock, There were seven in eight

5. Gestalt: A Unified Whole Gestalt theory: Visual imagery is understood holistically before it is examined separately. We look at the whole puzzle before individual pieces. A succesful composition feels unified, but on analysis can be broken down into: – Grouping – Containment – Proximity – Repetition – Continuity – Closure These elements work together to create a unified whole.

6. Jennifer Bartlet, Alphabet GROUPING organizing a composition based on similarities, based on location, type, color, etc

9. Indian Miniature Painting, watercolor on paper

10. Bruegel, Dutch Proverbs

11. Bruegel, The Harvesters

12. October, Janet Fish Containment and Grouping: edges around objects help us further group them

13. Proximity- nearby objects are read as being together Andy Warhol, Scandinavian Airlines

14. Fusion-shapes share edges, so that new shapes are formed Frank Stella

15. Repetition: we see the same visual effect over and over Edgar Degas, the Millinery shop

16. Repetition Creating a diagonal orientation Edgar Degas, Ballet Dancers

17. Kitagawa Unamaro, Enjoying the cool evening breeze on and under the bridge

18. Jennifer Bartlett, AIR 24 hours, 11

19. Continuation: a fluid connection between parts Balthus, the Living Room

21. This can lead to a sense of movement Rosenquist, Women’s Intuition

22. Continuity creating movement Thomas Eakins, Swimming

23. Closure: a mind’s inclination to connect fragmentary information to create a complete form.

24. Chuck Close, Phil

25. Wassily Kandinsky, Circles in a Circle What principles of Gestalt Theory are present?

26. Variety DIFFERENCE Unity and variety are the basis of good compositions—a piece should feel unified so that all elements are working together and nothing seems ‘out of place’, BUT We Varied enough so that there are elements of interest, we don’t get bored.

27. How is variety presented in this piece? Marilyn Minter, M & E

28. Alexander Calder, Spirals

29. Are both unity and variety present? Ryan McGinness, Aesthetic Comfort