Art and Empty Space

Negative Expanses Add the Viewer’s Imagination as a Dimension

Road to Buddha’s Farm by WM House (Author)

The human mind works beyond the level of consciousness, providing a mechanism of filling gaps in our perceptions, making the pieces into a whole. The expansive use of negative space in visual art opens the door for the mind to do what it does best and exercise its innate creativity. Japanese ink washes are known for their use of negative space.

The image below is an example of a work by the 16th-century Japanese master Hasegawa Tōhaku. Note the delicate use of black ink washes that fade into the background mist of pale negative space.

“Pine Trees” by Hasegawa Tōhaku (Japanese, 1539–1610). The painting has been designated as National Treasure in the paintings category. (Emuseum, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons )

Of course, there is nothing magic about the negative space being white or the imagery being monochrome. The artistic concept of negative space is important for any work of art. Where portions of the image fade from the viewer’s perception, art forces the human mind to derive meaning in areas where form disappears. In essence, the artist provides partial definition, letting the viewer’s imagination add its own unique overlay to the artwork. Call the art two-dimensional, if you will, but it causes the human mind to add additional dimensions to the scene it is…