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Wassily Kandinsky (1866- 1944)
What does it mean when an artwork is abstract? Abstract art portrays what an artist feels and thinks, rather than what he or she sees. An abstract artist uses colors and shapes to express his or her emotions and ideas. Just as we do not know other people’s thoughts, we do not always know what abstract art portrays but if you ask the artist, he or she can explain the painting to you. Kandinsky was a Russian painter and art theorist. His is recognized as painting the first completely abstract work of art. Kandinsky was inspired by music to create his artwork because music itself is abstract. You can't see music, you can't touch music, you can only hear it and then process it in your mind. Music describes inner feeling. Kandinsky named his paintings "improvisations" and "compositions" both musical terms. Kandinsky makes the unseen seen. His paintings describe visually what we cannot see visually. Abstract art can visually represent what we feel inside that cannot be seen with our eyes. He was also a very important art theorist, arguing in his famous essay "On the Spiritual in Art" that all art forms (music, visual art, performance etc) can equally represent the spiritual realm. Art can visually represent what we as humanity have never seen with our own eyes but something which we say we have felt. Kandinsky uses lines, organic shapes and geometric shapes in his paintings. Organic shapes are shapes that have curves and bends and not perfectly formed. Geometric shapes are shapes like squares, perfect circles, rectangles, triangles etc. All the shapes you discuss in geometry. Kandinsky creates depth and space in his paintings. He does this by putting some shapes in front and some are in back by layering them and making some large and some small. This is called scale. Also, sometimes the shapes in front are darker and the shapes in the back are lighter. This is called value. He overlaps these shapes just like we overlap using our layers in Photoshop. Balance
There are 3 types of balance in an artwork. Radial Balance: the elements (lines and shapes) are all arranged in a circular pattern. Symmetrical Balance: the elements (lines and shapes) are all arranged to mirror image each other on each side of the artwork. Its as if you could split the image in half. Asymmetrical Balance: the elements (lines and shapes) are balanced and follow the rule of thirds. 
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The Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds and Balance are both incredibly important parts of creating a successful artwork.
In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.
The Rule of Thirds and Balance are both incredibly important parts of creating a successful artwork.
In the rule of thirds, photos are divided into thirds with two imaginary lines vertically and two lines horizontally making three columns, three rows, and nine sections in the images. Important compositional elements and leading lines are placed on or near the imaginary lines and where the lines intersect.
When you are drawing and adding in your organic and geometric shapes into your compositions, it's important to consider the rule of thirds in order to create visual interest and a balanced composition.
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Organic Vs. Geometric Shapes
Organic shapes are shapes found in nature. They do not have straight lines, they are irregular in form.
Geometric Shapes are shapes that can be found in geometry, the "perfect" shapes. Circles, squares, rectangles, triangles etc.
Organic shapes are shapes found in nature. They do not have straight lines, they are irregular in form.
Geometric Shapes are shapes that can be found in geometry, the "perfect" shapes. Circles, squares, rectangles, triangles etc.
Assignment # 1
Choose a Kandinsky painting from the project page. Copy and paste it into a new slide in your google portfolios and answer the following questions about that painting.
IN COMPLETE SENTENCES!!
Choose a Kandinsky painting from the project page. Copy and paste it into a new slide in your google portfolios and answer the following questions about that painting.
IN COMPLETE SENTENCES!!
- What does it mean when an artwork is abstract?
- What inspired Kandinsky to create his artwork?
- Kandinsky paintings "make the unseen seen." What does that mean?
- What are organic shapes vs. geometric shapes? Give examples of each.
- In the painting you chose, did Kandinsky use geometric shapes or organic shapes?
- How does Kandinsky create space and depth in his paintings?
- What are the three kinds of balance in an artwork? Define them.
- What kind of balance did Kandinsky use in the painting that you chose?
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Assignment # 2
You are to create your own original unique abstract collage inspired by the work of Kandinsky. It must include the following:
Tutorial Below:
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Assignment # 3: Reflection Questions
When you are done with your project, and it is in your google portfolio for grading, answer the following questions in the comment section underneath your slide:
When you are done with your project, and it is in your google portfolio for grading, answer the following questions in the comment section underneath your slide:
- What do you think you did well in this project?
- What do you think you could improve on in this project?
- What did you learn how to do, or get better at doing in this project?
- Explain why you made the artistic choices that you made. (What is your collage abstractly representing? Why did you use the images that you did, why did you place the shapes and lines in the places that you did etc)
Additional Assignment:
Take the line drawing that you created in Adobe Illustrator and put it in a new Photoshop file. Using the magic wand tool, erase out all of the white spaces. On a new layer underneath the lines layer, use the brush tool to add color and paint in your work.
Take the line drawing that you created in Adobe Illustrator and put it in a new Photoshop file. Using the magic wand tool, erase out all of the white spaces. On a new layer underneath the lines layer, use the brush tool to add color and paint in your work.