FADN102: Design Fundamentals: Design Principles in Famous Artworks

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Design Principles in Famous Artworks

I went to the Norton Simon Museum and I saw two works that each perfectly illustrate a design principle. These works are the epitome of each design principle, in my opinion, and I'd like to share them because they really helped me understand the two design principles in question.

The first artwork is "Bird in Space," by Brancusi, a famous sculptor that was born in Romania but lived in France.

The artwork is the perfect example of economy. The sculpture distills a bird in flight to its essence. It is an abstract shape representing soaring and the upward movement of birds while they fly. The piece is one simple monochrome shape made of bronze, yet it perfectly captures a bird in flight.

One reason that the piece is so evocative of a bird flying is because of its directionality. The piece sends the eye upward because it is a single tall form without any other distractions for the eye. Following the form, the eye of the viewer is directed upward. "Bird in Space" thus allows the viewer to subtly experience the upward movement that the piece attempts to capture.

"Bird in Space," Constantin Brancusi, 1931,
Polished bronze

The second piece I'd like to talk about is "Mulberry Tree" by Van Gogh, a post-Impressionaist painter who lived in the 19th century.

This piece is the perfect example of movement.

Van Gogh creates rhythm in "Mulberry Tree" by repeating similar shapes and lines. The rhythm and movement in the piece lead to a feeling of intense energy in the piece. There is therefore no singular set focal point in the piece because the eye wanders all over the canvas as this piece is viewed. This is very different from "Bird in Space" by Brancusi, in which there is only one form for the eye to focus on.

The warm color choice in the tree in the artwork also leads to a feeling of movement and vibrancy. The warm colors of the tree contrast with the cool colors in the sky and make the tree seem even more alive, on fire with life.

The warm color choice coupled with the movement in the piece, lead the work to feel dynamic. The piece feels joyous and excited.

In my opinion, there also seems to be a subtle religious feeling to the work. The tree is vaguely reminiscent of the burning bush from the Bible. The piece also seems to be praising nature with a quiet but exuberant religious reverence.