ARH 151 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Negative Space
Document Summary
Space is always part of an artwork, sometimes in many ways: best demonstrated in site-specific work, designed for one particular space. Impossible to isolate the work from its surroundings. Space and how to transform it is the artwork. One of the seven elements of art. Encompasses the area within a work of art that can also include surrounding area. Most 2d artwork contains the space within the borders of which it is made on (paper, etc. ) The main object in a work of art is to take up positive space: sometimes artists intentionally blur the boundary between positive and negative space. In 3d pieces, positive space is the area that objects actually occupy. Many 2d works create the illusion of 3d space using different techniques: overlapping, placing objects in different parts of the canvas, relative size (smaller = further, blurry vs sharp (contrast, varying hues and values. Figures toward the top appear further than close-up.
