Composition in the visual arts is the placement or arrangement of various elements or components to create a work of art. Sometimes an artist does this by producing an image from his or her memory or imagination; artists also compose work by setting the scene in their studio; or by choosing a certain angle while mentally rearranging, adding or eliminating elements from an outdoor scene. A successfully composed piece of artwork utilizes the principles of art and fulfills the goals of the artist.

These principles of composition are the artist’s use of design, forms, visual ordering, and perspective to create an image that communicates to the viewer the artist’s concept. The further tools of line, shape, color, texture, tone, and depth provide artists an infinite range of compositional possibilities for their work. A work of art is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements within the work are arranged in a balanced compositional way. But sometimes the artist’s message is best communicated in an unbalanced nontraditional manner that challenges the viewer.

In the exhibition, Compositional Clarity, there are a variety of styles and compositional techniques. In the Mystic by Thom O’Connor and The Nets by Seong Moy, the images are atmospheric and indistinct; while Desert Glare by Alexandre Hogue and Mid-Winter by Asa Cheffetz have clear perspective and sharp precise details. Meanwhile, Pastoral by Arnold Blanch and Philosopher’s Happy Sun Shower by Morton Garchik have a whimsically primitive air, with little depth or perspective. Leading viewers to understand the apt statement by the artist Edward Degas that, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”

The afore mentioned prints and twelve additional pieces from the Gladys Lux Print Collection may be seen in the Compositional Clarity exhibition at the LUX Center for the Arts Historical Gallery.

This exhibition is curated by Susan Soriente, Curator of the Gladys Lux Print and Historical Collections.