image essay #1...gestalt principle of containment

This is an image by Julio Mateo and I believe it is an excellent example of the Gestalt Principle of containment. Containment is a principle where there is something surrounding the outside of the art work as to "contain" the piece. This can be as simple as the edges of the page, or lines around the page, or can get creative and intuitive and could be a curtain in front of the focal point. Many of his artworks use this principle in the same way, and that is by having the white diamond surrounded by the black square. This black square contains the focal point of the artwork, making your eye not wander off the page. It is a very simple principle that obviously works extremely well.

Even though this artwork is extremely simple, it is still very interesting and keeps your eye moving around the page. The simpleness of the circle is interesting and the eye tends to examine its imperfections. It is not completely symmetrical and is not connected all the way at the top. It's also difficult not to pay close attention to the texture in the circle. It has a very interesting variety of line pressure, going from very fat and pointalized to thinner and solid. Altogether, this is an outstanding example of the gestalt principle of containment.