Most paintings are usually easy to comprehend because of symbolic art techniques. However, when it comes to abstract art designs, this unique art field doesn’t have any apparent narrative subject matter to speak of. This doesn’t necessarily mean that abstract art is not a medium artists use to convey their emotions. The fact is - the expressionist’s perspectives can be significantly interpreted if we understand the hidden elements within the artwork’s formal design principles.

 

Understanding the Composition of Abstract Arts

The term ‘composition’ is usually used to describe the visual elements in any artwork. These prominent elements are put together to form an exquisite art piece, mainly including the following factors:

• Line
• Color
• Texture
• Shape
• Value
• Form
• Space

Unlike the elements themselves, the technique for pulling these elements together is not evidently visible to the audience. However, an excellent artist always relies on the concept of composition that defines how to assemble the components so that the outsider can easily understand it. Once the abstract artists replicate that vision in their paintings, we can unveil the moral or subject that is being reflected in the artwork. 

 

Hidden Elements of Composition

It is essential to understand that the elements of art are not the same as the elements of composition. While art components are based on visible attributes, aspects of composition are solely based on creative and intellectual factors.

The components of composition encourage the painters to exhibit their aspirations in a pleasing way for the viewers. It impels us to take in the entire painting, ultimately coming back to focus on the painting’s central point.

Here are the eight hidden elements of composition that artists use for elucidating an abstract art:

 

1- Unity

The abstract art should always feel like it is unified and blended as one. Not a single part of the composition should feel like it doesn’t belong there, distracting us from grasping the art piece as a whole. 

Having said that, it doesn’t intend that individual elements need to be eliminated or they can’t stand out or dominate a painting. The key is to incorporate the distinct additions in a way that they don’t feel stuck on or look entirely out of place in the artwork.

 

2- Balance

The sense of balance in abstract art also contributes to the overall composition of the painting. When one side of a painting feels heavier than the other, it implores the audience to give more attention to that particular spot.

A symmetrical arrangement in the painting represents a sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical adaptation creates a sense of unease, expressing a dynamic feel. However, in both cases, the abstract art never loses its unification that puts everything in perspective.

3- Movement

A painting should always be a question and never an answer, calling to the audience’s imagination. When abstract art is created, the painter has to think about the choreography of the process. 

Movement is an element of composition that creates a sense of flow in the painting to direct the viewer’s line of vision. It can be done by positioning the different parts of paintings in such a way that we can feel the painter’s train of thought. 

 

4- Rhythm

While the movement is about delivering the artist’s message, posing it as a question, rhythm is usually associated with the underlying beat that compels us to view the particular piece of art at a certain pace. In simpler words, each shape and color grabs the audience’s attention distinctly. The painters use this fact to their advantage while creating abstract art. 

For example, if there are gray and bright blue colors in a painting, we will naturally be focusing more of our time on the blue parts than the grays.

 

5- Focus / Emphasis

Our eyes are trained to stop and take in the artwork’s focal point for the longest time. If there is not a primary point where we can focus our attention, we will feel lost. That’s why a dominant emphasis is necessary for most abstract arts so the viewer can designate his conscious observation to that part of the painting, allowing the other areas to blend automatically in the background.

For instance, if an artist has used a considerable amount of red color in the painting, the other elements cannot compete with that color and function as a backdrop. This is a significant clue to what the painter is trying to convey as colors play an essential role when it comes to unveiling their disguised meanings in art. 

 

6- Contrast

Contrasts can be referred to as differences in color schemes, textures, or shapes that can be arranged to create a sense of harmony. Even a monochrome abstract art can contain contrasting colors and patterns in such a way that it exhibits a certain feel. 

Substantial differences between lighter and darker tones exude a different vibe than the paintings with minimal contrast between lighter and darker shades.

 

7- Pattern

The term ‘pattern’ in abstract art is defined the same as it does in regular use - a periodic repetition of colors, shapes, or any other element of art. While one vertical line on a canvas could depict anything, ten vertical lines in a row throughout the painting evokes an entirely different idea about a particular topic.

 

8- Proportion

When talking about abstract art, the proportion is an element of composition that features the relativity of each object in equal or required measures. It could depend on the size of all items or the space between them. 

The abstract art has to make sense according to the visual language that is explicitly established by all abstract artists.

 

Once we recognize the mentioned hidden elements within abstract art, it becomes much easier for us to appreciate and interpret the expressionists’ emotions and desires that they try to express with the viewers.