The effectiveness of any piece of art depends on its ability to appeal to the audience. The artists, therefore, struggle to develop works that appeal to the audience’s emotions and communicate the overall motif. Among the works of art that have effectively used this technique are “Composition VIII” by Wassily Kandinsky, “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough)” by Barbara Kruger, and “Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol. The three works have developed a particular trait in common. The artists have been able to use repetitive objects to describe their works and give the audience a hint about what they aimed to achieve. In “Composition VIII,” Kandinsky wanted to communicate his postwar achievement and the aesthetics of the art world. This is why he used so many repetitive forms to emphasize his viewpoint.[1] “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough)” by Barbara Kruger reveals the extent to which one can attain the perfection society idolizes. The art shows the face of a young woman trying to change her appearance to meet societal demands. “Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol repeats the facial painting of a celebrity to emphasize the saint-like nature with which fans approach their celebrities, creating a sense of immortality and holiness. The three works have presented repetition as the greatest tool artists use to appeal to their audience and explain their point of view. The more one contemplates the repetitive nature, the more one identifies unique features which form the basis of the motive behind the work. Studying such patterns, therefore, enables the students to understand the movements in any piece of work and how much movement affects the audience’s psychology. Therefore, this paper explores how repetitive objects in visual media have a strong psychological influence on viewers and consumers, influencing their perception, behavior, and decision-making, making them a powerful tool for artists to transmit meaning, inspire emotion, and accomplish their objectives.
Several types of repetitional patterns in art stir the psychology of the audience. Among the notable forms is the geometric pattern in which several repeated or altered shapes are brought together to create a meaningful design. A good example of such a pattern is “Composition VIII,” where symbols such as circles have been repeated severally in creating a unique composition. This composition has gone for irregular pattern creation, which is a little unpredictable but, in the end, has resulted in cohesion.[2]. On the other hand, organic patterns are the opposite of geometric patterns because they emphasize the use of irregularly shaped patterns to create a certain piece. This style avoids using predictable objects such as straight lines. “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough)” by Barbara Kruger contains both geometrical and organic repetition in a bid to compare and merge the perfections and imperfections that people chase after in society.[3] Another pattern is the abstract one, which is a form of art where colors are used to represent an idea that might not exist in the real world[4]. An example is “Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol, where Monroe’s face is depicted using different colors to manifest saint-like features. This is just an idea because Monroe was an ordinary human being who became famous thanks to her stunning acting career.
Additionally, repetitive patterns in any work of art are created by the strategic use of lines and shapes. A clearly defined line gives form to certain shapes and reveals their end and the beginning of a new one. Furthermore, the lines facilitate the act of repetition in the work because they reveal the end of a certain pattern and the beginning of its duplicate.[5]. For example, in “Composition VIII,” several lines crisscross, creating a sense of repetition and giving shape to several aspects of the work. Another is a narrative pattern that tells a story through a work of art. This story might be at the moment or something that has been going on for a long. A good example is “Marilyn Monroe,” which repeatedly used the facial image of the iconic actress to recreate a narrative. The various faces represent the idea of immortality and holiness, which the fans have held for a long time.[6] Also, repetition is aided by using color, which creates texture. Colors are aimed at evoking emotions and giving meaning to certain works. All three works of art above have used colors to attract the audience’s attention. The moderate use of colors gives the work a smooth texture, while excessive use of color generates roughness, which has a hidden meaning.
Repetition in art creates symbolism representing a general idea through certain artwork features. Among the leading forms of symbolism from repetition is religious symbolism. For a long time, artists have diverted to using their skills to create a relationship between human beings and the divine world. Religion also covers the desires of human beings, as well as trying to comprehend the aspects of occurrences such as deaths and the afterlife. A good example of how such symbolism has been achieved is the painting “Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol. The artist borrows the aspect of religion by exploring death and immortality, digging deep into the audience’s desires. The silkscreen painting of Monroe’s face is a dig into the immortalization of her role, especially years after her death. By repeating her image, the artist continues to immortalize the celebrity. This is because all the repeated faces have been portrayed under various colors, which cannot be used to point out a specific trait of hers. By revealing a similar face but under different colors, the artist is trying to prove that Monroe was more than an ordinary human being and her legacy is not set to die any time soon. The question of religion in art is propelled by human desires to explain the most mysterious events, such as the afterlife. This includes the urge to prove that human beings can achieve deity-like status.
Also, repetition plays a big role in art therapy. This is where the artists evoke their emotions on various topics and occurrences through similar patterns in cohesive works.[7] The biggest aim of art therapy is to talk about individuals’ perceptions and feelings on various topics. Repetition helps such artists develop distinction in their works. Excessive use of certain colors, such as black, tends to open up the artist’s mental process by revealing that they are battling with heavy emotions due to certain experiences in their lives. Such experiences might have pushed them into developing a negative [perception of a certain aspect. However, by repeatedly drawing using such elements, they get a feeling of relieving their psychological burden and attracting the world’s attention. This becomes the first step towards the healing journey. Among the repetitive nature adopted by such artists includes collage, where one image is duplicated into many, with each duplication coming with an enhancement. This expresses a similar thought differently, giving the artist a sense of contentment.
However, the greatest impact of repetition in art falls on the audience. The human brain is set to re-experience certain events as per the number of times that it is triggered. Images are among the most effective ways to create a sharp memory. Those familiar with an image can easily remember other details attached to it.[8]. Repeating a pattern in a work of art aids in capturing the attention of the audience. This is because there is a level of appeal created by the image. After all, as it gets repeated, it comes with enhancement, like a change of color. Work like the Silkscreen image of Marilyn Monroe is easier to capture the audience’s attention because it creates a bright contrast from one image to another.[9] Also, the audience’s attention is drawn toward something they can easily figure out. Using repetitive patterns can easily be pointed out, which gives the audience an easy time to create an interpretation. And when taken through so many images of a similar pattern, the mind is likely to capture and retain this. Artists use aspects of repetition combined with techniques such as colors to draw the audience towards a certain aspect of their work.[10] For example, whoever is looking at Marilyn Monroe’s portrait will likely be drawn to her face because it has been colored differently and, in turn, conclude that she had so many identities. Another impact of repetition is triggering an emotional response from the audience. Watching a pattern can easily evoke happiness, sadness, loneliness, bitterness, and other emotions. The ability to send shivers of joy or pain down the audience’s spines automatically creates a response.
Also, the response created further dictates the kind of mood that the audience will develop. Repetition is explained in similar terms to a rhythm. When one gets a pattern they can follow, it dictates the comfort level or discomfort this can create. Therefore a pattern in any work of art creates a certain rhythm in the audience. This rhythm collaborates with the emotional response triggered, thus forming the general mood. The audience is also expected to have an experience with some aspects, such as color. They relate several colors, such as sky blue, to emotions such as calm and composed. They generally convince their minds to calm down whenever they see such a color repeated. Others can relate it to foggy emotions and forgotten memories, brought to the surface as the audience interacts with the repeated pattern. The mood is necessary to understand the message the artist is passing across. One cannot explain an aspect they have not established a relationship with. This points to another important aspect which is perception and interpretation. The audience is known to likely associate the patterns they see in any work of art with their experience. After doing that, they concluded the artist and the message they were trying to convey. Perception is affected by how much the artist has tried to appeal to the sense of the audience.
If the work is lightly developed and does not emphasize any aspect, then the audience might get a very different perception from the intended one. The use of color, contrast, and patterns is aimed at drawing the attention of the audience towards particular aspects in a bid to push them towards interpreting it as per the artist’s intention.[11] The first aspect that repetition achieves in any work of art is creating unity and flow. The stability achieved from this creation enables the audience to concentrate on its relevance to their experience and probably the artist’s experience. A well-developed pattern also arouses the audience’s interest, which is vital when interpreting such works. Also, repetition promotes a positive effect, which moderates the interpretation by the audience. Positive affect refers to the general feeling of being attracted to any work and seeing its beauty. Sometimes, using a single color in a single instance might prompt the audience to interpret the work negatively. But the repeated use of the color and the pattern reduces the negativity and, in turn, makes the audience feel less threatened by the appearance. Also, repetition greatly affects the viewing process.
Artists achieve an aspect of continuity once they incorporate repetition into their work. However, it is not only continuity that is propelled by repetition. Sometimes the artist wants to create stillness by repeating a certain image so that the audience’s mind does not shift to something else.[12] Additionally, there might be an element of confusion advocated to relay the ambiguity of the artist’s expression. There might be parts that the artist is trying to make more visible or less visible. This depends on how they create their patterns. Depending on how frequently the artist repeats some patterns, the viewing process might be complex or simple. The audience has to check what is more important to view than the other, thus creating a visual hierarchy. An example is the Marilyn Monroe repeated portrait, which makes the process complex because of the shift in the use of colors.[13] The audience will be forced to view it repeatedly to understand the hidden concept. Another aspect that the repetition in such work has achieved is creating a narrative structure. The structure here focuses on the face of Monroe and the immortalization by her fans. Combining the hierarchy, narrative, flow, and movement creates the meaning of the work of art.
In conclusion, repetition is essential in a work of art because it triggers the audience’s psychology and makes them attach solid meaning to it. “Composition VIII” by Wassily Kandinsky, “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough)” by Barbara Kruger, and “Marilyn Monroe” by Andy Warhol are examples of works that have used various forms of repetition to pass across their messages. Such forms include geometric, organic, and narrative patterns. Repetition is integral in arresting the audience’s attention, involving their psycho-sensory, and finally pushing them to develop meaning. Repetition determines the mood created, which triggers an emotional response from the audience. Once they have identified with the work, it is easier to explore the pattern and understand the motive behind the creation of the work. Repetition offers the viewer a point of establishing the hierarchy and narrative structure of the work. This paper is a basis for further research on the importance of repetition in art. There are still questions about the relationship between repetition and other aspects, such as style, symmetry, balance, and texture. Also, the paper opens a forum to investigate the interplay between the artists and the aspect of repetition. Whether repetition is just a style or an innate psychological feature among artists should be made clear.
Bibliography
Harris, Clement Antrobus. “The Element of Repetition in Nature and the Arts.” The Musical Quarterly 17, no. 3 (1931): 302-18. http://www.jstor.org/stable/739036.
Joseph, Branden W. “The Play of Repetition: Andy Warhol’s ‘Sleep.'” Grey Room, no. 19 (2005): 22-53. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.newschool.edu/stable/20442678.
Kandinsky, Wassily. “Composition VIII.” 1923. Oil on canvas, 55.3 x 79.2 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
Kass, Jason, Beth Harland, and Nick Donnelly. “Warholian repetition and the viewer’s affective response to artworks from his Death and Disaster Series.” Leonardo 51, no. 2 (2018): 138-142.
Kruger, Barbara. “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough).” Digital prints on vinyl, 3 parts. Sprüth Magers, Los Angeles.
Phillips, David. “Patterns in Pictures for Art and Science.” Leonardo 24, no. 1 (1991): 31-39. https://doi.org/10.2307/1575466.
Swan, Liz Stillwaggon. “Deep Naturalism: Patterns in Art and Mind.” The Journal of Mind and Behavior 34, no. 2 (2013): 105-20. http://www.jstor.org.libproxy.newschool.edu/stable/43854330.
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Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn Monroe.” 1967. Silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 36 x 36 in. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Kruger, Barbara. “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough).” Digital prints on vinyl, 3 parts. Sprüth Magers, Los Angeles.
Kandinsky, Wassily. “Composition VIII.” 1923. Oil on canvas, 55.3 x 79.2 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn Monroe.” 1967. Silkscreen ink on synthetic polymer paint on canvas, 36 x 36 in. Museum of Modern Art, New York.
[1] Kandinsky, Wassily. “Composition VIII.”
[2] Harris, Clement Antrobus. “The Element of Repetition in Nature and the Arts.”
[3] Kruger, Barbara. “Untitled (Never Perfect Enough).”
[4] Joseph, Branden W. “The Play of Repetition: Andy Warhol’s ‘Sleep.'”
[5] Phillips, David. “Patterns in Pictures for Art and Science.”
[6] Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn Monroe.”
[7] Swan, Liz Stillwaggon. “Deep Naturalism: Patterns in Art and Mind.”
[8] Taflinger, Richard F. “The Persuasive Effects of Repetition in Advertising.”
[9] Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn Monroe.”
[10] Swan, Liz Stillwaggon.
[11] Vogt, Stine, and Svein Magnussen. “Expertise in pictorial perception: Eye-movement patterns and visual memory in artists and laymen.”
[12] Kass, Jason, Beth Harland, and Nick Donnelly. “Warholian repetition and the viewer’s affective response to artworks from his Death and Disaster Series.”
[13] Warhol, Andy. “Marilyn Monroe.”
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