Image Essay 7

This piece shows a figure/ground reversal. At first, the viewer may see the head of a man looking to the left with his hand on his shoulder. This image is very clear and appears to be the area of focus. However, there is another image in this piece that may be a little more difficult to see. If the viewer focuses on the man's ear, s/he may notice a woman wearing a long yellow dress. Also, there is a man with a long white beard that makes up the man's nose and mouth. If the viewer looks closely at the man's hand, he or she will actually see a dog laying on the ground. It is very difficult to go back and forth between these two images but it definitely keeps the viewer's attention on this piece.
This composition also demonstrates some principles of gestalt. The principle of containment is visible with the border around the piece which keeps the viewer's focus from going off the page. Closure can be seen when the images of the man, woman, and dog are combined to make the large image of the man. There is a repetition of the stones that make up the old man's upper body.