Unity

&
Variety

Unity in an artwork creates a sense of harmony and wholeness, by using similar elements
within the composition and placing them in a way that brings them all together.
Variety adds interest by using contrasting elements within the composition.
The example below is a very simple illustration of the principle, using circles of different sizes and
colors to show how a composition can be unified by similarities, and how interest can be added
by varying aspects of the composition.

Kandinsky was a pioneer in

the development of
abstract,
nonrepresentational art. He
believed in the expressive
qualities of abstract forms,
the possibilities of a
universal visual language
and in the abstract form to
convey intellectual
principles. For him, each
color and shape had its own
symbolic significance and
properties.
In this composition, unity is
provided by the repetition of
circles on a neutral
background. Variety is
added by varying the sizes
and colors of the circles, and
by overlapping them.
Kandinsky had this to say:'
The circle, claimed
Kandinsky, is the synthesis
of the greatest oppositions.
It combines the concentric
and the eccentric in a single
form and in equilibrium. Of
the three primary forms, it
points most clearly to the
fourth dimension.' as
quoted by Nancy Spector in
an article on the
Guggenhiem
websitehttp://www.guggen
heim.org/newyork/collections/collectiononline/showfull/piece/?search=Vasily%2
0Kandinsky&page=2&f=Peo
ple&cr=12