 I appreciate you sharing my journey.  Monday, July 27, 2009
Visual Tension = Vital Energy  What gives a piece of art its
energy? What makes it engaging to you as a viewer?  Last week I
watched an excellent interview with children's
author/illustrator, Chris van Allsburg, a long time favorite of
mine. He mentions the idea of "cognitive dissonance" as an
important aspect of his work. Cognitive Dissonance is a
psychological theory which basically states that feelings and
thoughts in conflict cause action which resolves them and
returns an individual to a state of equilibrium. This same
concept is often used in visual art to set up some form of
tension or dynamic interest that forges a connection between the
work and viewer. This visual tension energizes the art and makes
it engaging...imbuing the piece with the "vital energy" the
artist intends. Rene Magritte "Time Transfixed" 1938 Visual
tension is an important underlying principle in art and can be
developed in many ways; composition and arrangement, color,