Pictorial Space throughout Art History: Cézanne and ... - ARAS

ARAS Connections Issue 2, 2012
In psychological terms, the young girl's composition suggests that the
instinctual layer of her personality has not been repressed by consciousness. The
bold contrasts of color and form suggest the same.
How can you learn to create pictorial space?
What follows is not the only way to approach pictorial space but it may be
the easiest way. Because pictorial space is so difficult, easiest is probably best.
Work small and simple. This throws the problem into relief and will help
you to focus. Otherwise you will be seduced by other visual effects. A canvas eight
inches by six is big enough. To have more control over forces due to color, use
only a few colors and dilute them greatly with gray. To see the proportionate
relationships more easily, paint only rectangles. This will also protect you from
seduction by shape, line, or detail. Do not be discouraged by these restrictions.
They will not make your painting dull. If they empower you to play with pictorial
space then such play will offer infinite possibilities. Hofmann's Memoria in
Aeternum (plate 15) shows what can be achieved with several rectangles. Your
purpose is to become more sensitive to pictorial space.
Work in acrylics and make repeated changes: wipe off paint before it dries
or dry it with a hairdryer and paint over it. Paint a single rectangle, changing it
until all the proportions work so that it seems to belong on the canvas. Then try
to add a second rectangle: it could be the same color. Since all proportions must
work you will be forced to change the first rectangle.
The images in this paper are strictly for educational use and are protected by United States copyright laws. 33
Unauthorized use will result in criminal and civil penalties.