What Is Subordination In Art

What is Subordination in Art? Achieving Harmony Through Visual Hierarchy

Subordination in art is a fundamental principle of design that dictates the arrangement of elements to create a visual hierarchy. It's about consciously guiding the viewer's eye through a composition, ensuring that certain elements take center stage while others gracefully support the main focus. Understanding subordination is key to creating artwork that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also effectively communicates its intended message. This article delves deep into the concept of subordination, exploring its principles, techniques, and application across various art forms. We'll uncover how artists masterfully use subordination to achieve visual harmony and impactful storytelling.

Introduction: The Dance of Dominance and Support

Imagine a bustling marketplace: vibrant colors, diverse textures, and a cacophony of sounds. Without a sense of order, it would be overwhelming. Similarly, in art, a haphazard arrangement of elements can lead to visual chaos. Subordination acts as the conductor of this visual orchestra, ensuring that individual elements play their part in a harmonious whole. It involves strategically emphasizing certain elements—making them dominant—while others play a supporting role, creating a sense of subordination. This hierarchical structure directs the viewer's attention, creating a clear focal point and a compelling narrative.

This principle applies across all visual art forms, from painting and sculpture to photography and graphic design. Understanding how to effectively subordinate elements is crucial for any artist seeking to create powerful and engaging works.

Principles of Subordination: Guiding the Viewer's Gaze

Several key principles contribute to effective subordination in art. These principles work together to create a cohesive and impactful visual narrative:

• Size and Scale: Larger elements naturally draw more attention than smaller ones. A significantly larger figure in a painting, for example, immediately becomes the dominant element, while smaller figures become subordinate, contributing to the overall scene but not vying for primary attention.

• Contrast: Juxtaposing elements that are significantly different in color, value, texture, or shape creates visual contrast. A bright red object against a muted background, for instance, instantly grabs the viewer's eye, establishing dominance.

• Placement: The placement of an element within the composition significantly impacts its dominance. Elements positioned centrally or at the intersection of implied lines (like the rule of thirds) often become focal points. Elements placed at the edges or corners tend to recede, taking on a subordinate role.

• Isolation: Separating a key element from the rest of the composition through space or framing can effectively highlight it, making it dominant. This technique is often employed in portraiture, where the subject is isolated against a plain background.

• Shape and Form: Strong, bold shapes naturally command attention, while more delicate or complex forms tend to recede. This can be manipulated effectively to guide the viewer's gaze.

• Color and Value: Bright, saturated colors tend to be dominant, while muted or duller colors usually take a subordinate role. Similarly, light values stand out against dark values, creating a natural hierarchy.

• Texture: A rough texture, for instance, can stand out against a smooth texture, drawing the viewer's attention and thereby establishing dominance.

• Line and Direction: Leading lines, created by paths, roads, or directional brushstrokes, can effectively draw the eye to a specific point, highlighting the dominant element.

Techniques for Achieving Subordination: Mastering the Art of Emphasis

Artists employ various techniques to subtly or overtly subordinate elements within a composition. Some of the most effective strategies include:

• Focal Point Emphasis: This involves creating a clear center of interest that instantly captivates the viewer. This might be achieved through the techniques mentioned above—size, contrast, placement—or a combination thereof. The focal point becomes the dominant element, while other elements support and enhance it.

• Gradation and Diminution: Gradually decreasing the size or intensity of elements creates a natural visual hierarchy, leading the eye from dominant to subordinate elements. This is often seen in landscapes, where foreground elements are larger and more detailed, while background elements diminish in size and clarity.

• Repetition and Rhythm: Repeating elements, like shapes or colors, can create rhythm and flow within a composition. While repetition can sometimes create dominance, carefully controlling the scale and intensity can subordinate repetitive elements to a central theme.

• Visual Pathways: Artists can guide the viewer's eye using implied lines, directional brushstrokes, or the arrangement of elements to create a visual pathway that leads to the dominant element.

Subordination Across Art Forms: A Diverse Application

The principle of subordination is not confined to a single art form. Its application is remarkably versatile and adaptable:

• Painting: In painting, subordination is crucial for creating depth, perspective, and a clear narrative. A painter might use size and placement to emphasize a central figure, while using color and value to create a receding background.

• Sculpture: Sculptors employ subordination through scale, positioning, and the interplay of positive and negative space. A larger, centrally positioned figure in a sculptural group would be dominant, with smaller figures subordinated.

• Photography: Photographers use composition, lighting, and focus to achieve subordination. A sharply focused subject against a blurred background is a classic example of using depth of field to establish dominance.

• Graphic Design: In graphic design, subordination is essential for creating effective layouts and branding. The logo, for example, will often be the dominant element, while supporting elements like text and imagery are subordinated.

• Film and Video: Filmmakers utilize camera angles, lighting, editing, and sound design to create visual hierarchy and guide the audience's attention to key narrative elements.

The Scientific Basis of Subordination: Understanding Gestalt Principles

The principles of subordination are deeply rooted in Gestalt psychology. Gestalt principles describe how humans perceive visual information and organize it into meaningful wholes. Several Gestalt principles directly relate to subordination:

• Figure-Ground Relationship: This principle explains how we perceive objects (figures) against their background (ground). A dominant element in a composition becomes the figure that stands out, while the surrounding elements form the ground.

• Law of Prägnanz (Simplicity): We tend to perceive visual information in the simplest way possible. A clear focal point, created through subordination, satisfies this principle, allowing for easy comprehension of the artwork.

• Law of Proximity: Elements that are closer together tend to be perceived as a group. This can be used to create subordinate groups within a composition, thereby further emphasizing the dominant element.

• Law of Similarity: Similar elements tend to be grouped together. This can be used to create visual harmony and support the dominant element by grouping subordinate elements based on shared characteristics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Q: Is subordination always about making some elements less important? A: Not necessarily. Subordination is about creating a hierarchy, but all elements contribute to the overall effect. Even subordinate elements play a crucial role in enriching the composition and supporting the main theme.

• Q: How can I tell if I've used subordination effectively in my artwork? A: If your viewer's eye is naturally drawn to the intended focal point, and the other elements support that focus without distracting from it, you've likely used subordination effectively.

• Q: Is it possible to have multiple focal points? A: Yes, but it requires careful planning and execution. Multiple focal points can work if they are carefully related to one another, creating a more complex and layered narrative. However, too many focal points can lead to visual confusion and detract from the overall impact.

• Q: Can I learn subordination without formal art training? A: Absolutely! While formal training can be helpful, you can learn the principles of subordination through observation, experimentation, and studying the work of master artists.

Conclusion: The Power of Controlled Visual Direction

Subordination is not merely a technical skill; it's a powerful tool for visual storytelling. By mastering the principles and techniques of subordination, artists can create artworks that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also profoundly impactful. Through carefully guiding the viewer's eye, they can emphasize key elements, create visual harmony, and effectively communicate their intended message. Understanding and implementing subordination elevates an artwork from a collection of elements to a cohesive and compelling visual experience. The ability to create this controlled visual direction is a hallmark of a skilled and thoughtful artist, allowing for the creation of works that resonate deeply with the viewer and leave a lasting impression. The journey to mastering subordination is a continuous process of learning, experimentation, and refinement, ultimately enriching the artist's creative vision and enhancing their ability to express themselves through their art.