Rhythm and Movement
Rhythm
Rhythm is the principle of art that indicates
movement by the repetition of elements.
Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe's Lips, 1962
There are 6 Types of Rhythm
1.) Visual Rhythm-rhythm you receive through
your eyes rather than through your ears.
A motif is a unit that is created in visual rhythm.
A Pattern is a two-dimensional decorative visual
repetition.
Examples of Visual Rhythm
African Kente Cloth
The Great Mosque at Cordoba, Spain
6 Types of Rhythm
2.) Random- a motif repeated in no apparent
order, with no regular spaces in between.
Examples of Random Rhythm
Jackson Pollock, Number One, 1948
Bowl, Kongo People
6 Types of Rhythm
3.) Regular- identical motifs and equal amounts
of space between them.
Examples of Regular Rhythm
Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe's Lips, 1962
Empire State Building
6 Types of Rhythm
4.) Alternating- can occur several ways: to
introduce a second motif or to make a change in
the placement or content of the original motif
Examples of Alternating Rhythm
Navajo Blanket, 1855
Japanese Plate, Edo Period
6 Types of Rhythm
5.) Flowing- created by repeating wavy lines.
Examples of Flowing Rhythm
Drew Brophy, Life At Sea
Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (detail)
6 Types of Rhythm
6.) Progressive- a change in the motif each
time the motif is repeated.
Examples of Progressive Rhythm
M.C. Escher, Sky and Water I
Hiroshige, Okazaki
How Artists Use Rhythm to Create
Movement
Movement is used to convey feelings and ideas. It can be comforting and
predictable, or it can be monotonous, symbolic, or graceful.
Visual Movement is the principle of art that is used to create the look and
feeling of action and guide the viewers eyes throughout the work of art
Bridget Riley, Blaze 3
Futurism
A group of artists tried to do more than control the way
viewers looked at art. These artists were called Futurists.
Futurists used rhythm to capture the idea of movement
itself.

They used the word dynamism to refer to the forces
of movement.

They believed that nothing was solid or stable.

They showed forms changing into energy by slanting
and overlapping surfaces.

Futurist Art
Giamcomo Balla, Dynamism of a Dog
on a Leash
Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of
Continuity in Space
Actual Movement
Alexander Calder was a mechanical engineer.
Calder created his art by repeating abstract
shapes and putting them in real motion using air
currents and gravity.
Calder's art pieces were called kinetic
sculptures. Kinetic sculptures actually move in
space. Calder's sculptures were given the name
mobiles. Moving sculptures have been called
mobiles ever since.

Alexander Calder
Calder, The Star
Calder, Enseign de Lunettes