ch 1.8 (questions)

Chapter 1.8

Emphasis and Focal Point

PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

PART 1FUNDAMENTALS

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts, Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Chapter 1.8 Emphasis and Focal Point

Introduction

Emphasis is the principle by which an artist draws attention to particular content in a work of art or design

A focal point is a specific place of visual emphasis

An artist can emphasize focal points through the use of line, implied line, value, color—any of the elements of art

Emphasis and focal point usually accentuate concepts, themes, or ideas the artist wants to express

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Emphasis and Subordination

When an artist emphasizes different elements in a work of art, he or she creates visual relationships and connections between them

The opposite of emphasis is subordination Subordination draws our attention away from certain areas

of a work

Double-chambered vessel with mouse

• The mouse attracts our attention because it is so detailed

• The spout of the vessel also stands out, not only because of its color but also because of its geometric simplicity

• Third and fourth areas of emphasis are found in the decorations on the two chambers of the vessel

• These areas connect because they share common shapes, coloration, and texture that draw our attention away from the undecorated—subordinated—areas of the vessel

1.141 Double-chambered vessel with mouse, Recuay, Peru, 4th–8th century. Ceramic, 6” high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

1.142 Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green, 1964. Acrylic and oil/wax crayon on canvas, 10’10” x 6’10”. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts

Jules Olitski, Tin Lizzie Green

• Because abstract works can never directly evoke our memories of things or people, they frequently rely on compositional principles, such as emphasis

• Olitski frames our attention on the color field in the center of the work with three colored dots on the right, red horizontal strokes on the top and bottom, and a tan-colored stroke on the left

• These color shapes support the real focus of this work, which is the blue-green color in the center

1.143 Mark Tobey, Blue Interior, 1959. Tempera on card, 44 x 28”

Mark Tobey, Blue Interior

• When a work does not have areas of emphasis, that changes the way we respond to it

• Tobey was interested in creating a meditative response to the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, where he grew up

• Because Tobey does not use areas of emphasis, we are free to roam visually in his painting

• We can immerse ourselves in the work, as if it were an ocean

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Focal Point

A focal point is the specific part of an area of emphasis to which the artist draws our eye

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus

• The story of Icarus is one from Greek mythology – His wax wings melt as he flies

too close to the sun

• Bruegel diverts our attention so that we barely notice Icarus plunging to his doom

• Instead the artist’s main area of emphasis is the plower in the foreground, possibly illustrating the proverb “No plow stands still because a man dies.”

1.144 slide 1: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, c. 1555–8. Oil on canvas, mounted on wood, 29 x 44⅛”. Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium

1.145 Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes, c. 1620. Oil on canvas, 6’6⅜” x 5’3¾“. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

1.145 slide 2: Directional lines in Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Decapitating Holofernes

Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes Emphasis Used to Create Drama

• Through Gentileschi’s use of directional line and contrasting values we are drawn irresistibly to the point where the climax of the story is unfolding

• Judith’s arms and those of her maidservant (visually connected to the sword itself) stretch toward the dark values of their victim’s head

• The light values of the five bare arms create strong directional lines that lead to the focal point where blood spurts from the violent attack on Holofernes’ neck

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action

Artists can use direction, dramatic contrasts, and placement relationships to organize the elements in a work and draw our attention to areas of emphasis and focal points

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Line

Line is an effective way to focus a viewer’s attention in an artwork

1.146 slide 1: The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, India, Mughal period, c. 1590. Tempera and gouache on paper, 8¾ x 5⅝”. Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

1.146 slide 2: Detail of The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners, showing directional lines

The Emperor Babur Overseeing his Gardeners

• The gardener/artist Babur is pointing to a feature that channels water in four directions

• The strong diagonal of the channel draws our attention to the water as it runs toward us

• The central cross-shaped confluence of the waters becomes the focal point of the composition

• In this work, water is the focal point conceptually as well as visually

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Contrast

Artists look to create effects of contrast by positioning elements next to one another that are very different

For example, areas of different value, color, or size

1.147 Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure, 1629. Oil on canvas, 8' 2” x 7' 4”. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Francisco de Zurbarán, The Funeral of St. Bonaventure

• Most of the lightest values in the painting are reserved for the clothing adorning the dead body of St. Bonaventure

• These create a central focal point that stands out in contrast to the surrounding dark values

• The whiteness of his clothing symbolizes Bonaventure's spotless reputation

• Enough light value is distributed to the other figures to allow our eyes to be drawn away from the saint’s body, making the composition more interesting

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Emphasis and Focal Point in Action:Placement

The placement of elements within a composition controls rhythm and creates multiple focal points

1.148 Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi,” from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 1857. 15 x 10⅜”. James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Hawaii

Ando Hiroshige, “Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi”

• The positions of the moon, the bridge, and the figure in a boat form three separate focal points

• Each shape commands our attention and draws more of our focus to the right side of the work

• The varying distances between the placements of the three focal points also create rhythm that adds visual interest

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Conclusion

All the elements and principles of art can serve to create emphasis

Both actual and implied lines shape our examination of a work of art by directing the movement of our gaze

Contrasts between different values, colors, or textures can sometimes be so dramatic and distinct that we cannot help but feel drawn to that area of a work

Click the image above to launch the video

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Chapter 1.7 Scale and Proportion


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PowerPoints developed by CreativeMyndz Multimedia Studios


This concludes the PowerPoint slide set for Chapter 1.8

Gateways to Art: Understanding the Visual Arts By Debra J. DeWitte, Ralph M. Larmann, M. Kathryn Shields

Copyright © 2011 Thames & Hudson

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1.141 Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Nathan Cummings, 1966, 66.30.2. Photo Metropolitan Museum of Art/Art Resource/Scala, Florence

1.142 Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Courtesy Jules Olitski Warehouse LLC. © Estate of Jules Olitski, DACS, London/VAGA, New York 2011

1.143 © Estate of Mark Tobey, ARS, NY/DACS, London 2011. Courtesy Sotheby’s

1.144 Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, Brussels

1.145 Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

1.146 Victoria & Albert Museum, London

1.147 Musée du Louvre, Paris

1.148 James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts

Picture Credits for Chapter 1.8

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Study Questions chapter 1.8

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1.This is a specific place of visual emphasis in a work of art.

a. Focal pointb. Varietyc. Subversiond. Vanishing pointe. None of these answers

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2. When an artist wants to draw attention away from a particular part of the work, he or she uses__________.

Topic: n/aa. subordinationb. focal pointc. emphasisd. distortione. balance

• 3. The abstract work Tin Lizzie Green by Jules Olitzki draws attention to this part of the work.

• a. top• b. bottom• c. center• d. left• e. right

• 4. Blue Interior by Mark Tobey focuses the viewer’s attention squarely on this area of emphasis:

• a. there is no area of emphasis

• b. the blue marks.• c. the light marks.• d. the center.• e. the bottom edge.

• 5. In Bruegel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, the viewer is directed away from Icarus plunging into the sea through the use of __________ .

• a. subordination• b. focal point• c. emphasis• d. balance• e. proportion

• 6. In Artemisia Gentileschi’s work Judith Decapitating Holofernes, the viewer is directed to the __________ that is indicated by directional lines.

• a. area of emphasis• b. subordinated point• c. vanishing point• d. the top of the work• e. focal point

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7. This kind of line tends to be more visually active so it can draw the viewer’s attention.

a. Verticalb. Diagonalc. Horizontald. Solide. None of these

• 8. Placement of elements in a composition controls this and creates multiple focal points.

• a. Size• b. Proportion• c. Rhythm• d. Line• e. Focal point

• 9. Hiroshige used this process to create the work "Riverside Bamboo Market, Kyobashi.”

• a. Sculpture• b. Ceramics• c. Tapestry• d. Printmaking• e. Glass

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10. Which of these elements of art and principles of design can be used to create emphasis?

a. All of the other answersb. Shapec. Colord. Contraste. Rhythm

ch 1.8 (questions)

Education

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focal pointemphasis

focal pointfocal

focal pointcopyright

opposite of emphasis

haveareas of emphasis

useareas of emphasis

suchas emphasis olitski