Creating Composition

A Critical Necessity

- Timothy Rees

Human beings are very complex animals. In our everyday lives, as well as the arts (painting, music, literature, etc.), we demand that which is new as well as familiar to keep us engaged. The new is exciting, and the familiar helps us feel like everything is right. To neglect these elements typically means losing the interest of an audience.

The familiarity in a work is derived from our biology and the environment in which we have been raised. Our biology draws us to patterns. In fact, our very survival has depended on recognizing them (configurations of animals, other people, movement of the stars, etc). Our environment is a function of our history as a species. In the case of art, it is represented by the history of art/ architecture/interior design, as well as any additional local art cultural development.

Because of our innate complexity, well-developed composition doesn’t just make a painting better; it’s a critical necessity.