In painting as in cooking, every painting or dish contains the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. For example, in a souffle most people would consider it composed of 'air' and 'liquid' yet it also has an element of the earth: its thin top crust. Otherwise, it would just be a bland pudding. In a painting, there are rhythms and tones: these are the dynamics. What does this mean? DRAMA. It's all about juxtaposing these four elements and then orchestrating these aspects into relationships that are either dramatic or dull.
Friday, May 7, 2010
The Four Elements
In painting as in cooking, every painting or dish contains the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. For example, in a souffle most people would consider it composed of 'air' and 'liquid' yet it also has an element of the earth: its thin top crust. Otherwise, it would just be a bland pudding. In a painting, there are rhythms and tones: these are the dynamics. What does this mean? DRAMA. It's all about juxtaposing these four elements and then orchestrating these aspects into relationships that are either dramatic or dull.