Space
The element of space relies on the manipulation of all the other elements. How the other elements are placed by the artist creates space. Artists will place elements in the foreground, middle ground, or background to create their ideal composition. This placement helps the artist achieve depth in two-dimensional art pieces. The most common way of doing this is through perspective which relies heavily on strategic use of line and colour.
There are two main aspects of space, positive and negative. Positive space is occupied by an object or form, and negative space refers to the areas between, through, around, or within objects.
Artist: Ba Khine
Ba Khine was born in 1960 in Meikthila, Myanmar. Originally a professional photographer Khine learned about the composition of colour and light while working at local tourist places. It was his passion for colour and the creativity offered by fine arts that prompted Khine to pursue a career as an artist. He was a self taught artist and poet who relished the opportunity to formally learn painting techniques when he met U Aung Than during the 80’s.
Having known success as an artist in Myanmar, Khine opened his own gallery. Studio Square Gallery is founded and run by Khine and 3 other local artists. While he often works out of his own gallery, Khine’s work is also displayed and for sale at the River Gallery in Myanmar.
Khine’s Style and Technique
Khine uses concrete lines to divide his canvas into sections. He relies on size of objects, the position of the objects on the canvas, and the placement of objects in relation to the different “horizons” he has created to create the illusion of depth in his paintings.
Take a look at the video below to learn about a few more of the artists represented at the River Gallery, and gain an understanding of how the art in Yangon has changed in relation to a freedom that the citizens of Myanmar have not always had.
Beauty of Myanmar
The ‘Beauty of Myanmar’ is an acrylic painting that hangs at the River Gallery Museum in Yangon.
In creating this piece, Khine used line and colour to create the perspective of depth. Khine also uses the concept of overlapping shapes to indicate where objects are situated in relation to each other.
Click through the slide show to see more art by Khine.
Now it’s your turn to be inspired!
As you can see from Khine’s art, he has a deep appreciation for how line and colour can create a perspective. Take a look at the video to gain some more insights into the different types of perspective you can try to achieve. Apply your new understanding of perspective to your very own Khine inspired work of art. See below for some tips on how to get started.
- Decide on what sort of scene you would like to create
- Decide on how many different areas you will need to create (grass, ocean, mountains, street, trees, sky, etc..)
- Draw straight or curved lines to separate your different areas
- Try experimenting with overlapping some of the lines
- Add in different objects to your different areas
- Consider the placement and size of the objects based on where they are meant to be within your work of art.
- Add colour as you see fit
River Gallery
37th Street, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma)
Exhibit your Britto-Inspired Art!
Can you imagine seeing your work displayed in an actual museum? Well here is your chance! Virtually hang your artwork, alongside Khine’s Beauty of Myanmar at the River Gallery in Yangon, Myanmar!
Follow the directions below to add your masterpiece to the map:
- Click on the ‘Seven Elements of Art Form’ link below.
- Select one of the seven categories
- Upload a picture of your art as the “featured image”.
- Under Post Title: put your First Name and Grade (Louise, Grade 5).
- Copy and paste the gallery address above to the Location field.
- For the Post Content section, answer any questions that were asked within the lesson, or tell us a bit about what inspired you to create your art and how you created it!
- Click Submit to drop your pin in the map so that others can view your art at the gallery.