Talking Points: What Is Form?
A collection of sources and imagery to explore the question ‘What Is Form?’
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What is Form?
Form can be placed into two categories: implied form and actual form.
Implied Form can be found in a 2D artwork that gives the illusion of form through perspective, shape, tone, line and colour.
Real form is a 3D object that exists in space and time, such as architecture or a sculpture.
All forms are either geometric and organic, whether they are real (3D) or implied (2D). Geometric forms are mathematical objects including cubes, pyramids and spheres. Geometric forms appear man made and can suggest something solid, balanced and permanent. Whereas organic forms look natural. They are irregular and may seem flowing and unpredictable. – BBC
Discuss the artwork below to explore the different types of form.
Implied Form
Power Station by Phil Dean
Homage to Morandi by Jason Line
Persische Nachtigallen (Persian Nightingales) (1917) by Paul Klee. Original portrait painting from The Art Institute of Chicago.
Bomber Lair (1940) painting in high resolution by Paul Nash. Original from The Birmingham Museum.
Tumbling Blocks Original public domain image from Smithsonian
Untitled (Bars and Blocks) Original public domain image from Smithsonian
Questions to Ask Children
Which artworks are made of organic forms? How do you know?
Can you see artworks with geometric forms? How can you tell?
Do any of the images have a combination of geometric and organic forms? Which ones?
Which style of work do you prefer and why?
Does this artwork look heavy or light and why?
How have artists given the illusion of form in this artwork?
Real Form
Paper Polar Bear Set by Nathan Ward
Bronze horse, Greek, Corinthian, MET Museum
Under Water: paper and movement in G.F Smith’s White Space by Nathan Ward
Lets Dance by Faith Bebbington 4 Close Up Of Newspaper Clothing
Wembley Lion (Cardboard) by Faith Bebbington
