UNITY is a sense of cohesion in an artwork.
Kiki Smith, Getting the Bird Out, 1992 (source)
This sculpture by Kiki Smith is composed of two separate pieces – a bird and a head. How are these separate pieces unified? For one, they are made of the same material. The identical color and texture of the bronze creates unity between the two pieces. They are also connected with a rope. The rope provides a physical line or connection between the bird and head, creating unity.
There are three ways to create unity:
- Proximity – close placement or overlapping
Notice the various shapes in Helen Frankenthaler’s Pink Lady all touch and connect, almost like puzzle pieces
- Similarity – similar colors, shapes, values, etc.
Frankenthaler’s painting has similarity in both colors and shapes. There are analogous warm colors (orange and red) as well as analogous cool colors (green and blue) present. The various shapes, though not identical, are all irregular and organic.
- Repetition – repeated colors, shapes, values, patterns
The red color in Pink Lady repeats. We can find it on the right, left, and top of the central orange shape.
Let's look at a slightly more complex example.
Mickalene Thomas, A Little Taste Outside of Love, 2007, Acrylic, enamel and rhinestones on wood panel (source)
Proximity, similarity, and repetition all work to create unity in Mickalene Thomas's A Little Taste Outside of Love.
PROXIMITY. There is a lot of overlapping happening in this image. The horizontal reclining figure overlaps the many fragments of pattern. The patterned shapes are placed in very close proximity so that the overall form created by the shapes reads as one cohesive couch or bed, and the figure's hair breaks above those patterned shapes at the top left to overlap the olive green background as well.
SIMILARITY. There are many similar shapes in the composition. The figure's hair and body, the floral designs, the animal print stripes, and the black and white graphic pattern all contain similar curved arches. The colors are also similar. Ignoring the black and white (because black and white are not colors), the colors present are very warm. The brown of the body, tan of the floral pattern, and olive green of the background are all warm neutrals. Note: although we often consider green a cool color, this green is a very yellow-green, which makes it warm. Bluer greens are cool.
REPETITION. Several of the patterns repeat throughout multiple shapes (two of the floral patterns and the black and white graphic pattern, specifically). The olive green background also repeats in three rectangles at the top and a rectangle and a triangle at the bottom. Textures also repeat. The flat texture of the olive green is repeated in the flat texture of the brown body, and the glittery texture of the floral pattern is repeated in the glittery texture of the black outlines surrounding the figure.
