TERM 1
composition
DEFINITION 1
is the act to composing or organizing the Plastic Elements* in
a work of art
TERM 2
Principles of design
DEFINITION 2
The aesthetic principles of the composition with which Artists
organize the plastic elements in order to satisfy their
expressive intent. They are a natural part of perception and
integral to all art. They are also present in any work of Art
regardless of its form or the culture in which it was made.
TERM 3
Unity
DEFINITION 3
is the oneness or wholeness of things belonging together and
making up a coherent whole. A work of art achieves unity
when its parts seem necessary to the comopotion.
TERM 4
variety
DEFINITION 4
is difference (of the Plastic Elements, or "parts"), which
provides interest. Example: memory of Oceania, Henry
Matisse, Fig. 5.1, page 122
TERM 5
Balance
DEFINITION 5
A work of Art possesses balance when its plastic elements
achieve harmony. In compositions, the implied center of
gravity is the vertical axis, an imaginary line drawn down the
center of such composition.
