Composition
--Larry Dubitsky

A visual work of art is nothing more than a series of marks on some kind of ground. For example, a visual work of art could be a group of lines scratched into sand, or a series of cuts on stone. It could be paints on canvas, or inks on paper.

The materials comprising the artwork have no value or function in and of themselves. What gives a work of art any value is the artist's intention. The artist's intention is comprised of feelings, motives and emotions in creating the piece. The encoding of the artist's intention into some kind of format is the definition of composition. A clearly composed work of art creates in the viewer an internal experience of the artist's intention. This internal experience is known as the "aesthetic response."

The first known work of human art was found in Africa. It's a three million year old pile of round stones painted ocher. The artist or artists used a simple composition: round stones with painted round circles on them.The people of the nearby village probably laughed every time they passed this piece of artwork. This may or may not have been the artist's intention, but this first piece of art could have given birth to humor.

The intention of early Hindu art was contemplation. Hindu art had absolute formal balance. The viewer "centered" herself by gazing at the picture. This type of picture is called a mandala. This kind of composition is excellent for producing an experience of timelessness and peace. The watercolorist, John Singer Sargent, used this type of composition for his picture of a Florentine fountain.

Here are some illustrations of compositions that artists have used over the centuries to encode their intentions. Notice how each one communicates a different feeling. This kind of symbolism can be used in other ways, i.e., as in picture 2A where the dark image reverses iteself and becomes a light one.

Using the horizon to introduce a sense of order.

We have looked at 14 different compositions used by artists over the centuries. Each composition is a container for the artist's intent or feeling. If you resonate with any one or more of these, then they could be useful to you. There are countless other compositions you can invent. Remember, these compositions are products of the human mind, and someone invented them. If you have a feeling that none of these compositions are suitable for what you want to express, then you must "invent" your own.

The sculptor Rodin invested a new compositional form with his masterpiece sculpture, "The Thinker." In "The Thinker", the holes or spaces between the parts of the sculpture become more important than the physical form. He is the predecessor of Thomas Moore, Naguchi, and countless others. The whole "trick" of composition is to have a feeling and find or invent a form that can express it. Good luck!