by Dr. Asa Mittman
When an image or object is repeated throughout a work of art, or a part of a work, this is called either pattern or repetition.
Garbhadhatu (Taizokai) Mandala (Womb World), mandala of Innate Reason and Original Enlightenment, Japan, Heian period (Tantric Buddhism), late 9th century, colors on silk
Repetition and pattern
Repetition can be less structured than pattern, which is more regular. Both can work to create a sense of rhythm, as discussed below. The large base of a Ming Dynasty Chinese Bronze statue of Vairochana Buddha is composed of literally thousands of tiny bodhisattvas (Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have chosen to stay on earth to help others achieve enlightenment), which therefore seem to serve to support Buddha figuratively, as well as visually. Their repetition is very regular, establishing a clear pattern. This is also the case in the Buddhist mandala from the 9th century. The pattern in both cases emphasizes the unity of purpose shared by these thousands of figures, each an embodiment of the ideal of compassion.
Vairocana Buddha, 16th-17th century, China, bronze, 99 cm (Cantor Arts Center)
Rhythm
Rhythm is the visual tempo set by repeating elements in a work of art or architecture. The arches and columns of the Great Mosque of Cordoba provide a good example. They are spaced very evenly, setting up an even tone to the building. This is then enlivened by the rhythm created by the striped pattern on the arches.
Hypostyle hall, Great Mosque at Cordoba, Spain, begun 786 and enlarged during the 9th and 10th centuries (photo: wsifrancis, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
For contrast, we could look at Jackson Pollock’s Autumn Rhythm (# 30). Pollock was a fan of jazz music, and tried to capture something of its loose, syncopated rhythms. The resulting drip-paintings (they were made with the large canvases lain on the floor of his studio) have similarly loose, improvisational compositions. Despite its lack of formal structure, there is a clear rhythm running horizontally across the painting, and Pollock uses the title of the work to draw our attention to it.
Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950, enamel on canvas, 266.7 x 525.8 cm (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Variety and Unity
Variety is the use of different visual elements throughout a work, whereas unity is a feeling that all the parts of a work fit together well. These do not have to be opposites, as a work filled with variety might also have unity.
The World Womb Mandala is an excellent example. Unlike the Ming Dynasty Bronze statue of Buddha, where all of the bodhisattvas are more or less identical, the many bodhisattvas on the World Womb Mandala are each individualized. At a distance, they all become one, expressing great unity, but taken one at a time, each as an object of devotional contemplation, they contain more variety than it would at first appear.
Detail, Garbhadhatu (Taizokai) Mandala (Womb World), mandala of Innate Reason and Original Enlightenment, Japan, Heian period (Tantric Buddhism), late 9th century, colors on silk
Log in jfrancis56 5 years agoPosted 5 years ago. Direct link to jfrancis56's post “wouldn't most of these ta...” wouldn't most of these take multiple others or just countless years to complete alone? • (9 votes) Aisel Rodriguez 4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to Aisel Rodriguez's post “What is the difference be...” What is the difference between pattern and rhythm? • (7 votes) sejalx a year agoPosted a year ago. Direct link to sejalx's post “where is the horizontal r...” where is the horizontal rhythm in the Pollocks painting it just looks super chaotic to me • (4 votes) llama 9 months agoPosted 9 months ago. Direct link to llama's post “To me it just feels very ...” To me it just feels very smooth, which gives me a sense of rhythm. It is definitely a different kind of rhythm than the Cordoba mosque. (3 votes) Elijah 7 months agoPosted 7 months ago. Direct link to Elijah's post “I didn't know Pollock org...” I didn't know Pollock organized his paintings that way. It looks as though he used a predictable zigzag pattern to lay the paint but let it splatter and run to an extent. • (4 votes) smartgirlTO 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to smartgirlTO's post “Guys do you know what uni...” Guys do you know what unity means in the principles and elements and design of art? • (2 votes) yeyeroso 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to yeyeroso's post “"...unity is a feeling th...” "...unity is a feeling that all the parts of a work fit together well." So I would say it's about the cohesion of visual elements within a work. Are they organised and presented in such a way to contribute to a greater whole? Or are they separate elements that stand primarily in their own right? (3 votes) MikeMike 9 months agoPosted 9 months ago. Direct link to MikeMike's post “Is the ryhthm he created ...” Is the ryhthm he created Do To him Listening To Something That guided his Rhythm or just from the rhythm he dripped his paint? • (3 votes) awillow8writer3 4 years agoPosted 4 years ago. Direct link to awillow8writer3's post “What does it mean when "[...” What does it mean when "[variety and unity]...do not have to be opposite, as a work filled with variety might also have unity"? • (2 votes) Elijah 7 months agoPosted 7 months ago. Direct link to Elijah's post “There seems to be a repea...” There seems to be a repeating pattern of downward strokes. • (2 votes) austinav341 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to austinav341's post “is there a video for this...” is there a video for this or no I just want to know • (0 votes) David Alexander 3 years agoPosted 3 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Not everything gets video...” Not everything gets videos. They cost more to make than essays, so if you want good content, you have to read from time to time. (5 votes) loebljo 7 months agoPosted 7 months ago. Direct link to loebljo's post “How does Pollock show 'rh...” How does Pollock show 'rhythm' in this abstract expressionist work? • (1 vote) rui 7 months agoPosted 7 months ago. Direct link to rui's post “Part of the rhythm I saw ...” Part of the rhythm I saw in Pollock's art comes from the spacing between the white paint marks, which are spaced pretty evenly throughout the canvas despite the apparent randomness of the work. (2 votes)Want to join the conversation?
