Facing a blank wall with a blank stare? Brighten your outlook by trying these time-tested art arrangements.
The art of wall arrangements
So you have a picture, and you have a wall. Now what? Contrary to popular belief, your sole task isn't to pound a nail in the wall and hang the picture level. Pleasing wall arrangements follow the same interior design rules used for placing furniture in a room.
Follow the lessons on these pages to arrange art like a pro. | 
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| Rhythm |
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Do you want a serene room or a stimulating one? Well, rhythm -- the movement from one object to the next -- contributes to a room's tone. Creating a certain rhythm depends on the size, shape, and spacing of objects. Our combination of large and small circles in the top photo evokes a wave rhythm -- dynamic movement that's not too jarring.
When all of the objects are the same size and equally spaced, the rhythm is more placid. If the larger objects were replaced by tall, vertical rectangles, the rhythm would be staccato, setting an emphatic tone.
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Balance and weight |
Balance
Balance refers to the even distribution of visual weight within a display. Maintaining balance is important because an unbalanced arrangement may look top-heavy, bottom-heavy, or as if a side is falling off. In our example in the top photo, two smaller rectangles placed together balance out the larger oval.
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A symmetrical arrangement (where each half of an arrangement is the mirror image of the other) is the most straightforward illustration of balance, but you can use the technique to create asymmetrical arrangements too. |
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| That is not to say you should not consider purchasing an item with alterations. Simply be aware of the alterations. You should also know that the piece will be compromised in value due to alterations, and you should not pay the same price for an altered piece that you would pay for an unaltered piece. |
Weight
Sometimes an object's visual weight demands that it be displayed alone. Anything that is large, dark, bright, boldly patterned, or oddly shaped will look heavier and bigger than an item that is small, pale, solid, and predictably shaped.
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The sheer size of this rectangular wall hanging in the top photo makes it best displayed alone, but a smaller, bright red item would have the same visual weight. When using this technique, it's best to display your weighty object near similarly weighty furniture or architecture, such as a sofa or fireplace. |
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| Hierarchy and negative space |
Hierarchy
Hierarchy, or the use of one dominant object mixed with sub-ordinate objects, allows you to display a group of things while drawing attention to the focal point.Although thearrangement in this example consists of seven items, your eye is immediately drawn toward the largest square because it's the biggest item and because the overall display is in a square shape. This is a good technique for themed displays because it helps unify disparate objects.
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Blue and white five-piece
Delft Garniture set were made in Holland about 1775. Photo courtesy of the The Levison
& Cullen Gallery. |
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Negative space
Sometimes the wall area between items, called negative space, is as interesting as the items themselves. In the next example, a square and four identical rectangles are positioned so the negative space creates a pinwheel effect.
It's easiest to draw attention to the negative space when your objects are in a color that contrasts with your wall, such as white against red. Our sample arrangement has the added benefit of giving a single item more importance by framing it. |
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| Repetition and proportion |
Repetition
You can create a dramatic and dynamic pattern with repetition of a simple object. In the top photo, the unity of squares first catches your eye; only upon closer inspection do you notice each square.
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Repetition is a favorite trick of interior designers because the objects used can be as humble and inexpensive as garden seed packets or the same photocopy of your dog just thumbtacked to the wall.
This technique is equally as effective for three-dimensional objects, such as wall vases or display boxes. |
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Proportion
Proportion is the size relationship between items, and analyzing proportion helps us make visual sense of our environment. Though the total area of the top grouping is large, it is less overpowering than a single piece because the rectangles are divided into familiar proportions; the top is divided in half, and the bottom uses thirds. |
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Dividing up a panoramic photograph in this way, for example, would make it more interesting and approachable. You could also use rectangles painted in three intensities of the same color. |
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Lines
You can create a modern and abstract display by using straight lines. By itself, a line is just a line. It's the combination of lines that creates a form, and that form varies depending on the thickness, spacing, direction, and repetition of the lines.
n this example, the line combination on the left uses equal thicknesses and spacing to form what looks like a rectangle; on the right, varied spacing shakes up the rectangle form, making the arrangement more dynamic. |
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