CHAPTER 3: THE ELEMENTS AND

ORGANIZATION OF ART

THE VISUAL-ARTS

Man has always tried to understand and control his environment. Using nature as his
guide, he has formulated a basic idiom with which to express and communicate this vision of his
life and the reality that surrounds it. The painter or sculptors sees shape, color, texture, and
shape in nature. He uses them, manipulates them, and organizes them into a work of art.

THE ELEMENTS OF THE VISUAL ARTS

LINE- lines have many qualities which artist exploits. They may be short or long, fine or thick,
heavy or light, wavy or jagged, straight or curved. The lines we “see” in nature are, on close observation,
veins of leaves, the joining of two different surfaces, or the edges of objects.

SHAPE-our world is composed of a variety of shapes, some of which, because of constant use,
have gained permanent meanings. They can use to simplify ideas. Classified according to their sources,
shapes may be natural, abstract, non-objective, or geometric.

TEXTURE-we usually refer to the feel or tactile quality of the surface of an object, whether the
surface is rough or smooth, grooved or ridged, furry or silky. It also clarifies space.

COLOR- is not a permanent property of things we see around us. It is derived from light, whether
natural, like sunlight, or artificial, like fluorescent light. Color is a series of wave lengths which strike our
retina.

VALUE- is a tonal relationship between light and dark areas in a painting .It is also an element
that must be considered in relation to other elements such as line, color, texture, and shape. Value may
also result from a blending of some elements and to express emotions.

SPACE AND MOVEMENT- exists as an “illusion” in the graphic arts, but in sculpture and
architecture it is actually present. Space in architect is created and defined by the shape, the position,
and the materials employed by the architect.
 PRINCIPLE OF DESIGN

Design is the overall visual structure of a work of art. It is means by which the artist makes
comprehensible the ideas he wishes to express and communicate. Design makes our environment more
readily comprehensible. The design of an object makes it what it is at the same time that it is made
interesting and stimulating.

HARMONY- is one of the important principles of design. In the visual arts, it refers to the
adaptation of the visual elements to each other, the agreement between the parts of the composition of
which result in unity. It is achieved by the repetition of characteristics which are similar in nature, such as
shape, size, and color.

VARIETY- variation in nature is infinite. However, too much repetition easily results in monotony;
hence, the principle of variety is needed to prevent this. The use of a quality or an element which
contrasts with or is slightly different from those that surround it prevents sameness.

RHYTM- rhythmical patterns exist in nature. When the elements are found in a readily
recognizable rhythmical organization, a certain pattern is present. This pattern directs our eyes from one
element to another.

PROPORTION- deals with the ratio of one part to another and of the parts to the whole. It is
expressed in size, number, and position. The space surrounding the object also assumes an important
relation to the object.

EMPHASIS AND SUBORDINATION- they are the principles that concern the giving of proper
importance to parts and to the whole. They are also basic to life’s activities. Emphasis and subordination
involve the differentiation between the more important and the less important.

BALANCE- unity in a work of art is dependent upon the balance between harmony and
variety, as well as balance in the sizes and shapes in the work of art. Balance is inherent in nature, is a
feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various elements.

MUSIC

Composed of tones and silences organized in such a manner as to convey the emotions
and ideas conceived by the composer. The definition of music appreciation as “the acquired
ability to listen to music intelligently” implies two important facts:

1.) That the ability to appreciate music is not inborn

2.) That it may be acquired by anyone who makes up his mind to do so;

SOUND
 This is its physical property-the thing is encountered by our senses. All sound is produced by
vibrations. Sound in general both tones and noise has four qualities; Timbre, Pitch, Intensity, and
Duration.

FOUR QUALITIES OF SOUND

TIMBRE – tone, color quality, refers to the quality which enables us to distinguish one
sound from another, an instrument from another. Anything that vibrates can produce a sound, but
unless it is amplified by something, the sound may not be audible. Timbre results from physical qualities
of the object which vibrates, its thickness, length, and tautness.

PITCH – refers to the relative highness or lowness of a tone. It is the result of the
frequency of vibrations: The faster the vibrations (the “higher” the frequency), the higher the pitch.
Because of pitch, it is possible to construct musical scales.

DURATION – this refers to the length of time which a sound occupies. The duration of
sound depends on how long the vibrating object continues to vibrate. That is we can produce sounds
that last for certain lengths of time and then reproduce them after a definite period of time has elapsed.

INTENSITY – refers to the loudness of softness of a sound. The time value is indicated by
the type of note used, whether whole, half, or quarter note.

THE ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

RHYTHM – music is composed of tones and silences of varying durations, moving

through time, and this movement through time is Rhythm. It is the most element of music, the only one
which can exist independently of the others.

MELODY – the terms tune, theme, motif, and melodic line all mean the same thing as
melody. It consists of a series of tones of varying pitches sounded in succession. A melody may be
compared to a spoken sentence, in which words have been arranged in certain relationships to one
another, and then spoken with varying pauses and inflections.

HARMONY - another element of music is harmony. It is the simultaneous sounding of

tones. Harmony also has rhythm; that is, chord progression takes place at certain intervals which may be
regular or irregular.

TONE COLOR - as applied to a piece of music rather than to a single sound or tone, voice,
or instrument is the result of tempo, dynamics, and the timbre of the medium or mediums. Tone color
can be almost taken literally, as when we describe sounds as “bright,” or “light.” We become conscious of
tone color in orchestral compositions when we try to listen to the different families of instruments as
they play a theme or fragments of it.
 TEXTURE – in music is analogous to a piece of cloth which consists of warp and woof
threads woven together. When voice parts or tones of a chord are closely spaced, or when a low or bass
register predominates, the result is most likely to be thick; thin texture is likely to result when the tones
are widely spaced, or when a high register predominates in a composition.

FORM – like all artists, he assembles his materials on the basis of an overall plan or
design which is called MUSICAL STRUCTURE or MUSICAL FORM. This design or plan shares the same
general principles of composition which most other artists make use of, such as Unity, Variety,
Repetition, and Balance.

LITERATURE

Literary works are sometimes under two large categories:

IMAGINATIVE LITERATURE- interprets human experience through the presentation of

fictitious persons and incidents or situations and not through actual truths about particular events or
abstract relations between ideas and reality.

ESSAYS AND BIOGRAPHIES-present or interpret actual facts, experiences, ideas, or

events, and make us appreciate the strangeness, the humor, or the tragedy inherit in or connected with
them, and at the same time satisfy our need for factual information or our desires to understand ideas.

LITERARY TYPES OF GENRES

FICTION (NOVEL and SHORT STORY)

Fiction presents characters, events, and ideas through narration. A novel or a short story
portrays people in a certain setting and situation, who become involved in that situation through their
own actions.

THE ELEMENTS OF FICTION

1.) Character
2.) Plot
3.) Setting
4.) Theme
5.) Language and style
6.) Point of view
 POETRY

Very different from fiction, and yet, in some ways, is quite similar to it. The poet
considers the number of syllables, the location of accents or stresses in the words he uses, the
way a word sounds, and what it suggests as well as what it means.

THE ELEMENTS OF POETRY

1.) Connotation
2.) Figurative Language
3.) Imagery
4.) Sound and Rhythm

NARRATIVE AND LYRIC POETRY

Narrative poems are similar to short stories in a plot and characters are present to a
certain extent. A narrative poem has a story and character or characters. It also has a kind of point of
view.

LYRIC POEMS

Are generally short and are intense expressions of personal feelings. They are very
subjective and personal, expressing deeply felt emotions.

READING POETRY

The similarity between poetry and fiction has already mentioned. This similarity,
however, does not mean that both types are to be read in the same way, for the elements in each type
that engage our attention and bring us pleasure are quite different.

ESSAY

An essay may be defined simply as a composition which discusses a single topic. “Essay”
is derived from the French word essai which means “to attempt” or “to try”.

THE ELEMENTS OF ESSAY

1.) Theme or Content

2.) Style
3.) Form and Structure

FORMAL AND FAMILIAR ESSAYS

Familiar Essay – is more subjective and personal than the formal essay. Its organization is
often disguised or hidden, so that the unfolding of ideas seems unplanned and spontaneous.
 Formal Essay – form and structure are easily discernible. The theme and ideas may, for
instance, be developed systematically through logical argument, supported by generalized facts and
statistics.

READING AN ESSAY

Reading an essay then is like engaging in a conversation with the author. The difference,
of course, is that we cannot interrupt the flow of ideas that comes from the author in the way that we
can interrupt someone we are conversing with.

DRAMA

A play may be read and enjoyed as literature. The general purpose of a play is to
entertain the audience; its specific aim, to tell a story.

THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA

1.) Plot
2.) Character
3.) Conflict
4.) Discovery, Reversal, Dramatic Irony
5.) Language and Idea

DRAMATIC MODES OF DRAMA

TRAGEDY – ends in the protagonists being overcome by the forces which he opposed or
tried to oppose. Although tragedy leaves us with a sense of loss because the hero has shown us how
noble and great he is and yet has been destroyed or defeated, we feel a certain kind of satisfaction
because he has demonstrated the value of human nature and has shown us how noble and great man
can be.

COMEDIES – on the other hand, end happily. In comedy, our knowledge may make us
feels superior to the hero (heroin) because we see his imperfections, and his ignorance makes us laugh
at him. We laugh at him for being unimportant or typical, for being like everybody else and not
extraordinary or unique.

THE PERFORMING ARTS

DANCE- consists of a succession or arrangement of steps and rhythmic movements to musical

and/or rhythmic accompaniment. In primitive cultures, dance was a form of social expression and
religious rituals. It may be performed for several purposes, such as entertainment, as part of rituals, or
the expression of inner thoughts and emotions.

THE ELEMENTS OF DANCE

CONTENT (THEME)

Dances usually attempt to tell a story, convey or evoke an emotion, or express an

attitude. The theme or idea of the dance provides a unifying element to the movement of the dancers. It
can be also be a presentation of beautiful designs – patterns of movement in combination with the
costumes and rhythmic movement of the dancers.

MOVEMENT

Is the fundamental element of the dance. Movements result from the need to
express an emotional or physical state or condition.

MUSIC

It motivates the movement of the dancers.

SPECTACLE

Music, stage, décor, and costumes, as well as movement all combine to tell a
story or evoke an experience or communicate in some way with the audience.

BALLET

It is defined variously by dictionaries as “stage entertainment” which enacts a

story or expresses a dramatic idea through dance, or “theatrical” storytelling by means of dance.

MODERN DANCE

Developed in America at the beginning of the 20 th century as a rejection of the

formalism and stereotyped choreography of classical ballet. Is based on natural expressive movements
by which means dancer expresses a wide range of emotions, thus rejecting not only the techniques of
ballet, but also its idealized and romantic content.

BALLET AND MODERN DANCE IN THE CONTEMPORARY PERIOD

BALLET – emphasizes the dancer’s conquest of the forces of nature.

MODERN DANCE – focuses on “externalizing” profound, personal experiences.

CINEMA
 Of all the art forms today, the cinema appears to have the greatest appeal. It is a term that
embraces many types of films or movies. The cinema is a way of expressing ideas, attitudes, feelings,
dreams, and fantasies to an audience through a series of images.

THE ELEMENTS OF CINEMA

1.) Time
2.) Space
3.) Framing
4.) Sound

THE PERCEPTION OF ART

T o “see” a painting, a piece of sculpture, or a building takes but a few moments. The
arts have a language of their own, and the elements and principles of organization make up the
vocabulary and idioms of that language. Art does not become less great simply because we reject it,
neither will it become great because of our approval. But it is our disadvantage if we reject it and try to
live without it. Dealing with the arts creates in us a capacity for understanding not only the arts, but
mankind- our fellowmen- and a consciousness of the man and of the possibilities of life.