an element of art |
Shape:
–noun
1. the outward form of an object defined by outline
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 22 Oct. 2010. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/shape>.
Shapes are defined by an outline, real or implied. Shapes are two-dimensional, with height and width; however, they can create the illusion of depth.
Shapes defined by objects are positive shapes; those defined by the space around objects are negative shapes.
Click on poster above for a larger, printable version
An example of an artwork that uses geometric and organic shapes.
Franz Marc, Small Composition II, 1914, oil on canvas, Sprengel Museum
An example of an artwork that uses both actual and implied shapes in its composition (hold mouse over image to see some implied shapes)
Leonardo daVinci, The Last Supper, 1498, tempra on gesso, pitch and mastic, Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan
The above images are in the Public Domain
Sites about Shapes:
The Virtual Instructor: Shape
National Gallery of Art: Shape
Arts Connected: Shape
Visual Arts: Organic and Geometric Shapes
Some artists who used shape prominently in their work:
Henri Matisse
Piet Mondrian
Wasily Kandinsky
Joan Miro
The Metropolitan Museum: Cubism
Some contemporary artists who use shape prominently in their work:
Franz Ackermann
Bart Exposito
Jaime Gili
Mark Grotjahn
Mark Bradford
Martina Steckholzer
Andy Collins
Peter Peri