Image Essay #3

In Kazimir Malevich’s work titled, “Suprematist Composition: Airplane Flying”, it is quite clear that the artist uses the dominant, subordinate, and accentual shapes to draw in his viewer. This technique keeps the viewer’s eyes moving throughout the artwork. The dominant structure in this painting is the largest black rectangle towards the center of the page. As one can notice, the smaller objects (compared to the large, dominant rectangle) are positioned near this “dump truck” to show the contrast in size. The subordinate shape in this piece is the yellow block that is located towards the top, which is cutting into the red rectangle. This shows that the yellow rectangle is quite larger than the red rectangle by breaking up the shape directly in the center. The accentual shape in this artwork is the smallest block located directly next to the largest, most dominant figure, which is the large black rectangle. By placing the smallest, most accentual shape next to the dominant figure, it shows exactly how large the dominant structure is compared to the smallest. Malevich uses primary colors in addition to black to create movement and floating throughout the artwork. The use of dominant, accentual, and subordinate shapes also contributes to this asset of his work. Color, size, and shape produce a unique rhythm against the white background of this painting. The edges seem hard and geometric, but when viewed closely, the boundaries waver ever so slightly. This painting is a great example of how the use of color, dominant, subordinate, and accentual shapes can lead the viewer’s eyes all around the artwork.