Simplicity
Limiting the range of colours, materials, textures, lines or other elements in a piece will make a composition look more unified. It will appear simpler and easier to read as one work.
This Coco Chanel cape from the 1920s is made of chiffonA very fine, semi-transparent fabric made from plainly-woven silk, nylon or rayon. and is trimmed with feathers. The two materials have contrasting textures but are united because they are both black. The result is a simple and elegant design.
This group, called Three Figures, is from a larger group called The Family of Man by Barbara Hepworth (1970). Although the three forms are separate from each other Hepworth has created unity between them through simplicity. Each figure:
- is made from bronze
- has the same colour and texture
- is made from four forms stacked on top of each other
- is a similar height to the other figures
- shows a similar language of forms featuring holes and rounded edges and corners
This fashion photograph for Paco Rabane, (Richard Loftus, 1968) has a sense of unity due to the use of circles within the dress, glasses and the watches.
Question
How can unity be created in a piece made from materials with contrasting textures?
Keeping one element the same even when others contrast creates unity. For example, materials with contrasting textures could be chosen in the same colour.