The design principles of the selected art works of Jacob Lawrence and John Jasper are in direct opposition. In Jacob Lawrence, Daybreak there is symmetrical balance. The visual weight of the piece is equally dispersed within the photo. If a vertical line is drawn in the middle of the piece the focal point as well as the geometric shape that is in the foreground will split evenly on both sides of the print. In addition the value of the hues of primary and secondary colors are dispersed equally on both sides of the piece.
There is asymmetrical balance in the Jasper John’s piece, Perilous Night. The visual weight is on the right of the piece. There is more color and movement on the right, which attract the eyes and give the right side its visual weight (125). Also, John uses a combination of tertiary colors to the right of the piece as oppose to monochromatic tertiary color on the left.
The colors and shapes that Lawrence makes use of gives a visual unity to his work (123). There is a rhythm created by the repeated geometric shape of triangle (141). There are three triangular shapes, two implied and one in the geometric shape in the foreground. The first implied triangle is the slant of the foliage, and the second implied triangle is the vanishing point of the parallel lines of the shore. The manner in which the primary and secondary colors are employed also brings oneness to the piece. For example the orange-yellow hue of the shore is repeated in lesser value in the outline of the focal point of the piece, the feet that appear in the foreground, and the insects that are on the foliage. Red and purple is repeated in the emphasis and subordinate object in the piece. Lawrence place emphasis on the body with the use of diagonal slant of the body which creates a liveliness to the body (134). The subordinate object, which is the geometric shape with the feet which are proportionally larger than the focal point or emphasis is ”visually less interesting”(135) because the incompleteness of the object. There are these huge feet but no body. It takes further scrutiny to see where the feet are going, and then there is the arm that appears to the right of the feet that further complicates the intent of the object, whereas, the human body immediately draws attention.
In the Perilous Night, Jasper John applies variety to his piece by employing multiple vertical and horizontal lines. Both artists utilizes geometric shapes to place emphasis. John uses a square shape with a lighter color to draw focus to the objects used in this piece, by framing the middle object.
Getlein, Mark. Living With Art 8th. Ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2008.
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As stated in my last comments on design elements the Lawrence composition is a-symmetrical. When a line is drawn down the vertical axis there is more weight on the right that the left because of the larger grasses.
A true effort to compare and contrast the two artworks.
Essay defines and utilizes art vocab appropriately with some errors.
The information is synthesized and the question is discussed but could be more broad to include more discussion on the Johns work.
The features of the artworks are complete.
the is a suitable transfer of information and a demonstration of some critical thinking and connections between the readings and the art works espcially with reference to the Lawrence.
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