The Elements of Art (in Quilting!) Part I: Space

So over the last several weeks, we've talked about the different basic aspects of Color Theory.  Hopefully you've found something helpful, but we're not done yet! 

Let's not forget, quilting is art.  And the Elements and Principles of Art apply to quilting just as with any other medium.  So buckle up, we're taking another journey into the Elements of Art! First up? Space!

Space is exactly what it sounds like - it is the area earmarked for a purpose. It includes foreground, middle ground and background of a composition.  

In quilting it is mainly observed as the areas in between the focus components of a pattern or in the pattern of the fabric. This is where your eye comes to rest from the other colors and patterns. Positive space constitutes the focus pieces, and negative spaces contain the "nothingness," the spaces aside from any focus component. It can be a powerful tool to play the other elements up or down as you need to.  

One of the styles were space is really used to effect is in modern quilting, especially in the more arty quilts.  Space can create secondary designs, allow the primary design to flow, show off a special print you couldn't bear to cut, or give you a place to really show off intricate quilting.  Quilts with lots of negative space tend to stay on the side of minimalism, and have a more calm, sterile look then something with less space.  Here are a few good examples:

Alternatively, sometimes space is severely restricted from a quilt to give a totally different look.  This is frequently seen in scrappy style quilts where the busy-ness and lack of negative space is what makes the quilt shine!  Quilts with less negative space tend to be on one side of the spectrum or the other - low volume and blendy, or dynamic and full of energy - regardless of the color palette.  Here's a couple good examples:

Which look do you prefer - more, or less space? Share in the comments below!