An art blog that Goghs the extra mile
The poster for Ricky Ian Gordon and Nina Mankin’s play, Sycamore Trees, portrays the Gestalt Theory element of figure/ground beautifully. Human minds can process multistability: the perception of two images alternating between foreground and background due to the presence of multiple equilibrium points. Deliberate spacing between the shards of a broken plate creates the illusion of a sycamore tree standing strong.
The icon for Google Images is built from four components that are linked only through shape and size. The reason our brain reads these semi-circles as a unified icon is due to the element of similarity, which comes from the Gestalt Theory. If any of these shapes were replaced with an animal of the corresponding colour, the icon would not be as pleasing and seamless as it is now.
The element of closure from Gestalt Theory refers to a lack of outline around a shape, which forces our minds to fill in the gaps to make it readable. Long revered video game brand, PlayStation, clearly demonstrates closure in their logo. The letter P is stood upright, and the letter S is laying flat behind it, like a shadow. Effectively broken into three pieces, the PS is read as such, regardless of its breaks.