Rhythm relates "flow" in a floral arrangement

R-4: Rhythm

Rhythm relates "flow" in a floral arrangement. As the arrangement is seen and experienced, the viewer's eye should take in all parts of the design yet be continually led back to the visual center of interest. This is accomplished not only with lines, defined as providing a visual path, but also from the related but changing forms, colors, and textures which generate a feeling of motion. It can be an illusive quality, with too little giving dullness or monotony to the arrangement while too much can result in confusion, but there are some techniques that will aid the designer's efforts.

As lines immediately direct the eye, it is important that their directions keep the eye moving as we wish. This should be toward the focus. Anytime the eye encounters a line crossing the one being followed, confusion results. On which line should the eye continue? Therefore, visible lines that cross should be avoided. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through radiation, in which all lines appear to originate at a common (hidden) point behind the center of interest. Alternatively, all the lines from the flower and foliage stems appear to converge at the visual center. As the eye falls on any of these lines, it is then led to the focus.

Rhythm also implies a repetition of the elements in a design. Any component utilized alone suggests either it has an emphasis or it is out of place; both are probably unintended. The components need repeating both to tie them and the arrangement together and to cause rhythmic eye movement among them. This was illustrated before in using a contrasting color to create focus. A single contrasting flower will be overemphasized, but there is a more comfortable relationship if the color is repeated within the arrangement and brought forward to the focus. Repetition needs to be evaluated for each design element, but remember also from the color discussion that repetition does not always mean duplication of the component line, form, color, or texture. Repeating the element in a modified version can add critical interest without confusion.

Variation to help rhythm is illustrated in the methods of gradation and transition. These terms may be used as synonyms, but we usually refer to gradation in the structural elements (sizes of lines, forms, spaces, etc.) and transition in the visual elements (chromatic values). In either case the change should be gradual; radical changes can result in jerky eye movement.

Gradation causing eye movement is easily visualized with a group of flowers varying in size and arranged from smallest to largest. The natural tendency is for the eye to go first to the smallest, "lightest" flower and then move to the largest, "heaviest" flower. This can be used to advantage by placing the smaller buds and blooms toward the periphery of the arrangement and the largest blooms at the focus. In fact, an arrangement with no line-type flowers can have the illusion of a line established through careful placement of round blooms in a graded series. Parallel relationships may be seen for gradation from weaker to stronger lines and forms (in addition to size) and the transition from lighter to heavier color values and softer to coarser textures.

Most floral materials lend themselves fairly easily to scaling by size as they tend to have mixed sizes available at the same time. Even when very uniformly graded flowers are purchased, a variety of flowers or chromatics can provide the needed gradation or transition. However, there are many times when the design uses only a single color of equal-sized flowers. To avoid monotony in this arrangement the designer needs to vary the apparent size of each flower. Looking at the flower face reveals it full size. If the flower is viewed in profile (90^o to the face), the apparent size is much smaller. There is a gradual change in apparent size as the viewing angle is changed from the full face to the profile. Thus, how the flowers are faced from the arrangement periphery to the focus allows gradation and the development of good rhythm. In fact, by the technique of radiation, this change in flower facing should be employed in all arrangements, even when there is an available mix of flower sizes and chromatics.

Space needs special mention in the relationship to gradation. As negative space is the opposite of positive form, eye movement is reversed by the size of the negative space. Several positive forms of the same size will have a smaller apparent size with a large space around each one compared to when they are close together with little space between them. Thus, it is appropriate to use greater spacing (larger voids) at the arrangement periphery and closer spacing (smaller voids) at the focus. It is possible to use gradation of either form size or spacing alone to establish rhythm in an arrangement, but since voids also add to interest, it is usually much more effective to use both together.

Another method supporting rhythm through repetition is opposition, or contrast. This is the use of components with the same element quality placed at opposing points away from the focus. This supports an emphasis on the focus as the eye naturally moves from the one side through the focus to the counterpart. This contrast also helps avoid monotony in repetition. However, the degree of contrast to the focus must be carefully controlled such that the two opposing areas do not overpower the single focal area. An axiom often offered to guide this is the law of contrast, "Major agreement --Minor contrast."

A final part of rhythm that may sometimes be found as a separate principle is the concept of dominance. Unless a component or area is given dominance over another, there is a competition in their importance. This will stop they eye and destroy rhythm. Two lines of equal height will command attention and hold the eye, but if one is shorter than the other, there is a natural eye movement from the taller to the next. In the same way there is a conflict to movement if colors are used in equal amounts, whether in separate parts of the arrangement or scattered around and intermixed. Careful use of repetition, gradation, and dominance will help avoid conflicts, but the determination of what flowers and elements will be dominant and subordinated needs to be part of the initial design.

Equal response in eye movement should not be expected every time because rhythmic qualities vary considerably depending on the type of design. Both straight and curved lines specify motion but with very different interpretations. The graceful curves of the Hogarth or S-curve design express a great deal of rhythm, while the vertical and horizontal designs offer much less. With the round, mass-style centerpiece differing only in flower colors, the eye motion may be limited only to a view around the surface since there is no other center of interest toward which to direct the eye.