Laws of Perception in Art

Law of Closure

The Law of Closure states that closed shapes are perceived more easily by the human eye than open ones. Closed shapes usually have a much stronger effect on us.

In Paul Klee’s artwork, this is clearly visible, as the eye first automatically moves to the closed circle in the image.

The closed shape doesn’t even need to have a continuous contour. A hint of it, such as through dashed lines, can be enough.

The human eye (or rather, our brain) tends to complete incomplete or unclear information on its own to create a complete image.

Law of Proximity

The Law of Proximity states that adjacent perception elements tend to be perceived as belonging together.

In Wassily Kandinsky’s artwork, this is clearly visible: The rectangles on the left in the image form a group due to their proximity to each other. Opposite them on the right is a single circle and another grouping of perception elements at the bottom right.

Law of Similarity

The Law of Similarity states that perception elements that resemble each other in form, color, or texture tend to be perceived as belonging together. For example, if several circles are drawn in different colors, they are likely to be perceived as separate units. However, if all circles have the same color, they are likely to be perceived as a group.

The Law of Similarity is why Pointillism works. In Seurat’s artwork, the Eiffel Tower is clearly recognizable, even though it consists only of individual dots.

Law of Prägnanz (Good Form)

The Law of Prägnanz states that we can group perception elements into clear forms, even if they are not actually present. Our perception of objects occurs based on prominent features, which we break down into simple and familiar structures.

For example, on Banksy’s graffiti, a person is clearly recognizable. However, upon closer inspection, it is strictly speaking only individual shapes.

Figure-Ground Relationship

The Figure-Ground Relationship describes the perception where the distinction between figure and ground is clearly recognizable. The figure is where image elements merge into a whole, forming a clear shape. The ground is what surrounds the figure.

The Figure-Ground Relationship does not always have to be clear. Optical illusions or the Rubin Vase are examples of ambiguous Figure-Ground Relationships.