Movement&Motion

We began our project 'Movement and Motion' early September. I began my mind maps and I brainstormed through the ideas of patterns of repetition, that give the idea of movement on the page, art in motion, dance, how we move, where we move, what makes and helps us and our bodies move, our internal organs which are constantly moving.

My initial mindmap

  I then focused on movement in art, visually. Movement in art is the path our eyes follow when we look at the plane. How the formal elements combined in a piece can make our eyes move across the piece.
  The use of repetition to create movement occurs when elements which have something in common are repeated regularly or irregularly sometimes creating visual rhythm. Rhythm is the result of repetition which leads the eye from one area to another in direct, periodic or by regular alteration of one or more lines or forms.

  Henry Matisse is a great example of rhythm and movement in art. 'Dance' drags our eyes in a circular motion around the plane by the 5 dancing figures holding hands. Their individual dances form rhythm which implies movement. Also Marcel Ducamph's 'Nude Descending a staircase'.

  I researched the different types of movement in art, under the classic graphic design theory 'The Principle of Design', a way of combining the elements of art to produce the look of action. 

•  Anticipated Movement: Live figures portrayed in unstable body positions cause the idea that motion is imminent. We know that some kind of movement will occur. It heightens the feeling of motion. eg. A swimmer before a dive on the platform, Adrien de Vies 'Juggling Man'.
•  Fuzzy outlines: When figures move past us at a very high speed, we perceive that figure as somewhat blurry, therefore conveying movement. eg. When you set a camera on low exposure on a tripod and capture cars driving very fast or a runner.
• Multiple image: Similarly, showing multiple overlapping images gives us the impression of motion, we can see that person has moved through a series of poses.
• Optical Illusion: Certain optical illusion based in the reception of geometric form will cause our eye to produce movement where none is present.

Another good example of art, where movement is really sensed in the painting is Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'.  Theres visual movement across this plane, the general direction is left to right. The motion moves our eyes across this. The paintings directional lines are sweeping and swirling shapes that are out of shape, giving form to create an actual landscape. the movement of the wind and the clouds is visible because of the repetition and rhythm of the lines.