What element or principle refers to the feeling symmetrical in a work of art?

The “principles of design” are mechanisms of arrangement and organization for the various elements of design in artwork. Please note that different sources might list slightly different versions of the “Principles of Design,” but the core fundamentals are essentially the same.

Harmony

Harmony in art and design is the visually satisfying effect of combining similar, related elements. For instance: adjacent colors on the color wheel, similar shapes etc.

Balance

A feeling of equality in weight, attention, or attraction of the various visual elements within the pictorial field as a means of accomplishing organic unity.

There are a few types of balance:

• Symmetry: A form of balance achieved by the use of identical balance compositional units on either side of a vertical axis within the picture plane.
• Approximate Symmetry: A form of balance achieved by the use of similarly balanced compositional units on either side of a vertical axis within the picture plane.
• Radial Symmetry: A form of balance than is even, radiating out from a central points to all four quadrants of the shape’s constraining plane.
• Asymmetry: A form of balance attained when the visual units on balance either side of a vertical axis are not identical but are placed in positions within the picture plane so as to create a “felt” equilibrium of the total form concept.

Proportion

Proportion is the comparison of dimensions or distribution of forms. It is the relationship in scale between one element and another, or between a whole object and one of its parts. Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and depth.

Dominance/Emphasis

The principle of visual organization that suggests that certain elements should assume more importance than others in the same composition. It contributes to organic unity by emphasizing the fact that there is one main feature and that other elements are subordinate to it. In the below examples, notice how the smaller elements seem to recede into the background while the larger elements come to the front. Pay attention to both scale and value of the objects that recede and advance.

Variety

Variety is the complement to unity and harmony, and is needed to create visual interest. Without unity and harmony, an image is chaotic and “unreadable;” without variety it is dull and uninteresting. Good design is achieved through the balance of unity and variety; the elements need to be alike enough so we perceive them as belonging together and different enough to be interesting.

Movement

Movement is the path our eyes follow when we look at a work of art, and it is generally very important to keep a viewer’s eyes engaged in the work. Without movement, artwork becomes stagnant. A few good strategies to evoke a sense of movement (among many others) are using diagonal lines, placing shapes so that the extend beyond the boundaries of the picture plane, and using changing values.

Rhythm

A continuance, a flow, or a feeling of movement achieved by the repetition of regulated visual information.

Balance in art is one of the basic principles of design, along with contrast, movement, rhythm, emphasis, pattern, unity, and variety. Balance refers to how the elements of art (line, shape, color, value, space, form, texture) relate to each other within the composition in terms of their visual weight to create visual equilibrium. That is, one side does not seem heavier than another.

In three dimensions, balance is dictated by gravity, and it is easy to tell when something is balanced or not (if not held down by some means). It falls over if it is not balanced. On a fulcrum (like a teeter-totter), one side of the object hits the ground while the other rises. In two dimensions, artists have to rely on the visual weight of the elements of the composition to determine whether a piece is balanced. Sculptors rely both on physical and visual weight to determine the balance.​

Humans, perhaps because we are bilaterally symmetrical, have a natural desire to seek balance and equilibrium. Artists generally strive to create artwork that is balanced. A balanced work, in which the visual weight is distributed evenly across the composition, seems stable, makes the viewer feel comfortable, and is pleasing to the eye. A work that is unbalanced appears unstable, creates tension, and makes the viewer uneasy. Sometimes, an artist deliberately creates a work that is unbalanced.

Isamu Noguchi's (1904-1988) sculpture "Red Cube" is an example of a sculpture that intentionally looks off balance. The red cube is precariously resting on a point, contrasting with the gray, solid, stable buildings around it, and it creates a feeling of tension and apprehension. 

Types of Balance

There are three main types of balance that are used in art and design: symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial. Symmetrical balance, which includes radial symmetry, repeats patterns of forms systematically. Asymmetrical balance counterbalances different elements that have equal visual weight or equal physical and visual weight in a three-dimensional structure. Asymmetrical balance is based more on the artist's intuition than on a formulaic process.

Symmetrical Balance

Symmetrical balance is when both sides of a piece are equal; that is, they are identical or almost identical. Symmetrical balance can be established by drawing an imaginary line through the center of the work, either horizontally or vertically, and making each half identically or very visually similar. This kind of balance creates a sense of order, stability, rationality, solemnity, and formality. Symmetrical balance is often used in institutional architecture (government buildings, libraries, colleges, and universities) and religious art.

Symmetrical balance may be a mirror image (an exact copy of the other side) or it may be approximate, with the two sides having slight variations but being quite similar.

Symmetry around a central axis is called bilateral symmetry. The axis may be vertical or horizontal.

"The Last Supper" by Italian Renaissance painter Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is one of the best well-known examples of an artist's creative use of symmetrical balance. Da Vinci uses the compositional device of symmetrical balance and linear perspective to stress the importance of the central figure, Jesus Christ. There is slight variation among the figures themselves, but there is the same number of figures on either side and they are situated along the same horizontal axis.

Op art is a kind of art that sometimes employs symmetrical balance biaxially — that is, with symmetry corresponding to both the vertical and horizontal axis.

Crystallographic balance, which finds harmony in repetition (such as color or shape), is often quite symmetrical. It's also called mosaic balance or all-over balance. Think of works by Andy Warhol with repeating elements, the Parlophone "Hard Day's Night" album cover by The Beatles, or even wallpaper patterns.

Radial Symmetry

Radial symmetry is a variation of symmetrical balance in which the elements are arranged equally around a central point, as in the spokes of a wheel or the ripples made in a pond where a stone is dropped. Thus, radial symmetry has a strong focal point.

Radial symmetry is often seen in nature, as in the petals of a tulip, the seeds of a dandelion, or in certain marine life, such as jellyfish. It is also seen in religious art and sacred geometry, as in mandalas, and in contemporary art, as in "Target With Four Faces" (1955) by the American painter Jasper Johns.

Asymmetrical Balance

In asymmetrical balance, the two sides of a composition are not the same but appear to have an equal visual weight nonetheless. Negative and positive shapes are unequal and unevenly distributed throughout the artwork, leading the viewer's eye through the piece. Asymmetrical balance is a bit more difficult to achieve than symmetrical balance because each element of art has its own visual weight relative to the other elements and affects the whole composition.  

For example, asymmetrical balance can occur when several smaller items on one side are balanced by a large item on the other side, or when smaller elements are placed farther away from the center of the composition than larger elements. A dark shape can be balanced by several lighter shapes.

Asymmetrical balance is less formal and more dynamic than symmetrical balance. It may appear more casual but takes careful planning. An example of asymmetrical balance is Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" (1889). The dark triangular shape of the trees visually anchoring the left side of the painting is counterbalanced by the yellow circle of the moon in the upper right corner.

"The Boating Party," by American artist Mary Cassatt (1844–1926), is another dynamic example of asymmetrical balance, with the dark figure in the foreground (lower right-hand corner) balanced by the lighter figures and particularly the light sail in the upper left-hand corner. 

How the Elements of Art Influence Balance

When creating an artwork, artists keep in mind that certain elements and characteristics have greater visual weight than others. In general, the following guidelines apply, although each composition is different and the elements within a composition always behave in relation to the other elements.

Color

Colors have three main characteristics (value, saturation, and hue) that affect their visual weight. Transparency can also come into play.

• Value: Darker colors seem visually heavier in weight than lighter colors. Black is the darkest color and the heaviest weight visually, while white is the lightest color and the lightest weight visually. However, the size of the shape matters, too. For example, a smaller, darker shape can be balanced by a larger, lighter shape. 
• Saturation: More saturated colors (more intense) are visually heavier than more neutral (duller) colors. A color can be made less intense by mixing it with its opposite on the color wheel.
• Hue: Warm colors (yellow, orange, and red) have more visual weight than cool colors (blue, green, and purple).
• Transparency: Opaque areas have more visual weight than transparent areas.

Shape 

• Squares tend to have more visual weight than circles, and more complex shapes (trapezoids, hexagons, and pentagons) tend to have more visual weight than simpler shapes (circles, squares, and ovals)
• The size of the shape is very important; larger shapes are heavier visually than smaller shapes, but a group of small shapes can equal the weight of a large shape visually.

Line

• Thick lines have more weight than thin lines.

Texture

• A shape or form with texture has more weight than one that is not textured.

Placement

• Shapes or objects located toward the edge or corner of the composition have more visual weight and will offset visually heavy elements within the composition. 
• Foreground and background can balance each other.
• Items can also balance each other along a diagonal axis, not just vertical or horizontal.

Any type of contrast can be employed in the striving for balance: still vs. moving, smooth vs. rough, wide vs. narrow, and on and on.

Balance is an important principle to heed, for it communicates so much about a work of art and can contribute to the overall effect, making a composition dynamic and lively or restful and calm.

Sources

"5 Famous Op-Artists." Weebly.

"Andy Warhol." Weiner Elementary School.

Beatles, The. "A Hard Day's Night." 2009 Digital Remaster, Enhanced, Remastered, Digipack, Limited Edition, Capitol, September 8, 2009.

"Biography." The Noguchi Museum, NY.

"Red Cube, 1968." New York City Public Art Curriculum.

"Target with Four Faces: Gallery Label." The Museum of Modern Art, 2009, NY.

"The Boating Party: Overview." National Gallery of Art, 2018.

"The Starry Night: Galley Label." The Museum of Modern Art, 2011, NY.

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Esaak, Shelley. "What Is Balance in Art and Why Does It Matter?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-balance-in-art-182423 (accessed January 1, 2023).