Westosha Art: Perception of Forms and Forces

Goal Concept:

All visual fields are networks of interacting forces

Access Prior Knowledge:

“A painting speaks only when it is seen as a configuration of forces, generated by its various visual components.” ~ Rudolph Arnheim

New Information:

The Perception of Forms and Forces

To fully control pictorial organization, you, the artist must be aware of the psychological forces in a composition and orchestrate them, along with visible elements such as shape, form and color to produce a visual-psychological synthesis.

Look at the square with the dot inside it.

Ask > “How do I know the dot is in the center of the square?”

It is perceived to be in the exact center because the dot interacts with an “invisible grid” - a psychological force field that is mentally projected to the figure. This psychological matrix is in the form of an “x” which connects the four corners of the square. Ultimately the visible and invisible elements lead us to the correct spatial determination of the dot.

The “invisible grid” is a psychologically projected matrix of visual forces which tells us the dot is in the center. The dynamic forces are equally balanced.

In every perceptive act, there is a similar coordinated effort of eye-brain action which scans and maps the forms and force fields involving thousands of subconscious measurements that determine the size, position, proportion and movement of visual elements.

> Think about parking a car, spiking a volleyball, catching a baseball, squeezing through anything, passing a soccer ball or skiing a mogal.

Apply Knowledge and Skills:

Studio Activity: Shapes and Forces

All visual fields are networks of interacting forces.

Create a collage-drawing abstract composition using geometric shapes (circles, squares, triangles...) Develop a design using one or more geometric shapes with repetitions and size variations. Cut ten or more shapes out of paper, then arrange and glue them inside of a square or rectangle. Arrange the shapes to create various relationships between the positive and negative spaces. Allow spaces to exist between the shapes, but do not overlap or have them touch.

Next, visualize the psychological forces in your picture. With a marker, draw the invisible forces on your picture. Use big arrows to suggest powerful forces, smaller ones to depict weaker tensions. There is no ‘right ’or ‘wrong’ way to do this exercise. In your own way, try to feel the invisible ‘push-pulls’ that seem to exist and fill the composition with symbolic arrows

Trigger Mechanisms:

Repeat, combine, animate

Materials:

paper, gluestick, ruler, compass, scissors, felt-tipped marking pens, templates

Studio Activity: Energy Encounter

different forcefields can be combined in a single plane of reference

Imagine two different ‘teams’ of abstract shapes interacting in the same visual space. Symbolize each ‘team’ in a different way, ex, by straght, curved or dotted lines. With a sharpie marker “weave” the symbolic lines together to produce a gybrid energy texture.

Trigger Mechanisms:

Repeat, Combine, Superimpose, Animate

Materials:

paper, black marker