Opposites in Art -- Color Contrast, Light and Dark, Smooth and Rough Textures

Without opposing forces in art, it would be difficult for artists to communicate form, space, and texture in a two-dimensional painting. Like the Chinese philosophy of Yin Yang, these contrary forces become interconnected so as to complement each other. Applying contrast, shading, and highlights bring figures, objects, and shapes alive. Contrasting and complementary colors and textures add interest and show how the objects or shapes interrelate. Opposites may also create rhythm and strengthen focus.

Color Contrast & Artist Relationships

Café Terrace at Night (1888), Van Gogh

In my Frenemies post, we saw how relationships between artists, though often friendships or romantic partnerships, created an environment of competition, conflict, and hopefully encouragement. Probably the pair that was most opposite is Van Gogh and Gauguin. Vincent liked to paint what he saw, like this outdoor café in Arles, and Paul preferred using his imagination or painting from his memory. Picasso was critical of Matisse's work. Manet and Degas also had their ups and downs.

I enjoy the combination of light and dark and how the perspective of the orange terrace and deep blue sky make the yellow awning stand out even more than its brightness, providing focus.

The Blue Mountain (1908), Kandinsky

Since they say that opposites attract, I wonder what differences or conflict existed among other famous artist couples. Pollock and Krasner, like the de Koonings, were abstract expressionists. Kandinsky and Münter were both members of the Blue Rider and created compositions full of bright colors. The primary colors in this Kandinsky painting and the contrasting white horses make a frame around the blue mountain, keeping the focus on his subject.

Smooth and Rough Textures

Marriage Between the Sun and
the Moon, Fidelma Massey

Traditionally, sculptures are smooth and monochromatic in white marble or patinated bronze. Already presented in 3D, the shading and highlights come naturally based on how the light hits the monochromatic surfaces. Therefore, how the limbs of a figure are posed, clothing is draped, or faces are expressed, must create the movement and interest without contrasting color. Totem poles, though usually thematic, often contain opposites. They may also be painted in contrasting colors or in a color scheme using black, white, and red, and sometimes light blue.

This unusual piece by Dublin artist, Fidelma Massey uses primary colors, including a red apple between the opposing figures perched upon a green marble base.

Breakfast in Fur (1936) by Surrealist, Méret Oppenheim is actually

a sculpture of a cup and saucer and spoon made entirely of fur. Personally, I think it looks more like feathers.

Its opposite would be the painting by Henri Fantin-Latour, painted in 1854 and entitled White Cup and Saucer. Opposites in both texture and reality!

Convergence (1952), Pollock

Abstract Expressionists like Jackson Pollock tended to use thick layers of paint called impasto to add rough texture to his compositions. Helen Frankenthaler used the opposite technique to create flat areas of color on her canvas. Both were quite successful -- one at using layers of bold textural splatters and the other soft areas of color and space -- focusing on the artist's strokes or lack thereof.   

Mountains and Sea (1952), Frankenthaler

Contrasting Value -- Light & Dark

Surrealist, Salvador Dali painted his classic Persistence of Memory in 1931 contrasting hard and soft using images of melting pocket watches. He also painted it using opposite colors of orange and blue. Surprisingly, this is not Dali's dreamlike interpretation of Einstein's Theory of Relativity (space and time) but instead, he likened his timepieces to Camembert cheese melting in the sun. Really!

Vincent Van Gogh's Crab on its Back (1889) is another example of contrasting colors. I'm surprised that he used green for the background although it is a good contrast with the red claws. Another of his works has two crabs, one on its back, using a slightly bluer colored background for more contrast. This may have been a study.

I use Édouard Manet's Vase of Peonies on a Small Pedestal (1864) when teaching my 5th-graders about contrasting value. It's really a study in light and dark. The green leaves are contrasted by the red flowers for added interest and focus.

Contrasting Color in Graphic & Optical Art

Graphic art relies upon using contrasting colors, especially in silk screening. In my Illusions post, the mysterious puzzles were presented in black-and-white. When the palette is limited, line and the placement of opposing colors become critical in establishing shape, form, and balance.

Here's a pair of decorative art pieces that complement each other by swapping the light and dark colors.

 

Op artist, Victor Vasarely obviously knew how to use opposites to create his graphical illusions. So many wonderful examples to choose from!

                       Faces

Pattern & Value Contrast

In my 5th- and 6th-grade classes, we experimented with patterned paper to create wrapping paper self-portraits. The challenge was to build up the features of a face, head, neck, and shoulders atop a contrasting background such that you could still recognize the person. We used holiday paper which traditionally comes in opposite colors, some rolls even being reversible. It was interesting to see the results of the students' choices.

Japanese Notans

More impressive still, is the Japanese Notan art we made in my 5th-grade class. We used positive-negative space to create masterpieces by flipping cutouts from a square opposite each edge.