Gestalt - Shapes

For this assignment, I grouped and placed shapes based on a given prompt. For the closure image, I used four triangles and four squares to enclose a centered white square, although it can also be seen as a white square placed on top of an octagon. The white central square was never actually drawn, but through the placement of the black shapes, the mind can have hold the perception that the white square is really drawn. This image does convey that the white square is inclosed by the other black shapes. The sharp contrast in color between the black and white and the identical color of all the drawn shapes helps to reflect this message. In terms of the graphics attributes, lines were deleted so that all the outside shapes ran together to form one coherent image. This allows the central square to fully stand out. All of the drawn components were placed in an attempt to make them all the "supporting roles" in the image by making them without lines and placed in such close proximity to one another. This placement allows for the central white square to be the main focus of the image. Each square was rotated and moved together so they would form an octagon shape.

The same black square was used throughout this design, but the proximity of each square allows two separate groups to emerge. The four squares placed in extremely close proximity to one another clearly form one group, while the other four squares form another group. Every component in the graphic works together to show that, although each component is identical, the proximity and placement of each still causes mental grouping of the elements to occur. The identical color of each square also reinforces this goal. In terms of component attributes, lines and effects were not necessary in making each square stand out from the background because of the sharp contrast between black and white. The placement of the objects is important to the message. The four squares on the right were placed far from each other to create added contrast between the two groups. All of the squares were rotated and sized in the same exact way to reinforce the message.

The effects similarity of components has on perception is also an aspect of the Gestalt Theory. In this image color, size, and shape are all utilized to reflect the message that similar objects are visually grouped together mentally. The lines of the pentagons are thin so that they still appear less dominating than the large, black trapezoids. the contrasting shape colors of black and white were chosen to create greater similarity between the identical objects and greater contrast between the different shapes. Although two pentagons stacked on each other form a line with two trapezoids side by side, the placement of identical objects in vertical columns allows the identical objects to be the first detected grouping.

For continuity, although two separate heart shapes were used, the graphic appears to be one continuous line because the tips are touching at exactly one point. The placement of these objects are the cause of this continuity. The elements were rotated in a way so that one point was touching and that allows them to appear to be a set of wings. The lines of each component were made fairly thick so that the shapes would stand out from the background. They lines of each were also made identical to one another so they reinforce the message of continuity.