Assignment #2 Design Elements and Principles

The artists unifies their art work by cohesion, by creating patterns, repetition and balance through the use of color, scales, lines and shapes. This painting irises by Vincent van gogh, is a perfect example of unify by color, the blue and green color creates the pattern and repetition through out the painting.

Color contrast, cold and dark on the left side is contrasting with warm and bright color on the right side. The dark color of the cliff on the bottom left side is balanced by the dark cloud on the top left side. The warm color of the plain on the bottom side is balanced by the clear bright sky on the top right side. The diagonal edge of the cliff is corresponding to the diagonal line and edge formed by the dark clouds on the top left side. The contrast to the diagonal Sharpe clear outlines formed by the cliff’s dark clouds, the plain and clear sky on the right forms curvy edges. The dense and compressed feeling shown through the left side of the painting is balanced by the vastness and clearness of the landscape on the right, it is asymmetrical balanced.

Size variation creates depth in perspective, object far away appears smaller than object that is visually closer in horizon proportion, bigger size character means more importance and power than that of the smaller size characters, and it is also more attention gathering. this picture of the world's largest gavel, in Columbus, Ohio. the sculpture is placed adjacent to a judiciary building, "evildoers beware this giant hammer of justice!". This sculpture gives viewer a idea of how powerful justice is.

Egyptian & Greek Art

     In this essay, I am going to briefly discuss the major difference and similarity between Egyptian and Greek figure sculptures by comparing the Egyptian statue of Khafre enthroned and Greek statue of David by Michelangelo.

     The Egyptian statue of Khafre that made from extremely hard dark stone that is brought 400 miles down the Nile river from royal quarries, which shows his importance and power as a pharaoh around 2520-2494 BC. It’s about 5 ft. 6 inches (sitting down position) with the 1 ft. base. Greek statue of David is a 17 ft. marble statue that is made around 1500's and it represents the biblical hero David who fought and killed the giant during his early age.

     Although both statue of Khafre and the statue of David were stone sculptures that depicted the ideal muscularity and power of each civilization, there are some significant and apparent differences observed in the forms, contents and symbolism of the two sculptures.  

     The Egyptian statue of Khafre is presented in frontal sitting position, with minimized facial expression and details of the pharaoh body, appears to be more geometric and symmetrical and it creates the effect of eternal stillness, appropriate for the timelessness of the afterlife. David, created much later than the statue of Khafre, is standing in contrapposto pose, one of the most iconic position used in Greek sculptures, with the additions of details of muscles, hairs and facial expressions, seems to be more realistic and natural compare to the statue of Khafre, and it shows the power and freedom. The statue of Khafre is clothed, siting straight and looking straight forward, it looks formal and solemn.  David, in comparison, standing is a more relaxed pose, with left arm on the shoulder, looking sideways, appears to be less geometric and more lifelike to Egyptian statue. 

hi, my name is Xuehai gao