Art as lens: developing solutions to visual problems

Visual language is the way artists organise art elements through design principles so that an audience can decode meaning. In Unit 1 you use it in three broad forms. In two-dimensional work, such as drawing, painting, printmaking and photography, the key elements are line, tone, colour, shape and texture. These are arranged through composition, balance, repetition, contrast, harmony, emphasis and unity.

A strong diagonal line can create tension; a cluster of dark tone can pull the eye to a focal point; repeated shapes can build rhythm and unity across the picture plane.

Three-dimensional work, such as sculpture, installation and object-making, adds qualities that only exist in space. Form, surface, scale, mass and volume describe how a work occupies space and how heavy or light it feels. Movement may be actual (a part that turns or sways) or implied (a twisting form that leads the eye around). Symmetry, repetition and unity organise the parts. Colour and texture still matter, but they are read on surfaces that the viewer walks around.

Time-based work, such as video, animation, sound and some performance, is experienced over a duration. Its visual language includes time, movement, sound, silence, rhythm, lighting, colour, sequence, pace, focus and tone. A slow pace with long silences can make an everyday place feel uneasy; rapid cuts and a pulsing soundtrack can make the same place feel energetic. Focus can mean both camera focus and where attention is directed.

When you analyse any artwork, name the element, describe how it is organised, and explain the effect on meaning. Naming alone earns little credit.