What is formalism?

Formalism describes the critical position that the most important aspect of a work of art is its form- the way it is made and it visual aspects- rather than its relation to the visible world.

In the lesson we were split into groups of 2 or 3 and each group was given a photo to annotate. The group I was in were told to write down all of the visual elements in the photo. Whether it was the colours or the point of view of the photo. Also if there were any patterns in the photo.

We pointed out the patterns of the building and how the photo was taken from a birds eye view. Also how there are dark colours and the photo was grainy because of it being taken at night and there being no natural lighting.

Different visual elements:

• Light: What is the lighting like in the photo? what can you see and not see, due to the lighting?
• Line: Are there objects in the photo that look or act like lines? Maybe create a separation with different parts of the photo.
• Repetition: Are there any repeated patterns, objects etc in the photo.
• Shape: What different shapes are there in the photo? are they geometric or organic shapes?
• Space: Is there any depth to the photo or does it look shallow? Does the photo look flat?
• Texture: Are there any textures to the photograph? What would it feel like if you touched the surface of the photo?
• Tone: Are there dark or light tones in the photograph? Which bit of the image is the darkest and which is the lightest?
• Colour: What different colours can you see in the photograph? Does this have and affect on how you see the image? Does it make the image seem dark or happy?
• Composition: Does the image look balanced or unbalanced? How are the things in the image arranged?