Walter Battiss' Fook Island

Fook Island

• Fook Island was created by Walter Battiss as a reaction to the Conceptual art movement of the 1970s.
• Battiss was frustrated by art exhibitions he found lacked visual substance.
• The name "Fook Island" came from a London telephone book.
• Fook Island symbolizes cosmic freedom and tolerance.
• It was used as political commentary on the Apartheid system and South African censorship.
• Battiss developed an imaginary island, language, alphabet, Creation Myth, stamps, and banknotes for Fook Island.
• Walter Battiss proclaimed himself King Ferd III of Fook Island.
• During his travels, he used a Fook Island passport and driving license.
• Norman Catherine was co-ruler, known as "Norman King Norman."
• Catherine created anthropomorphic sculptures reflecting political characters of the Apartheid era.
• The art of Fook Island blends influences from San/Bushman pictograms, Ndebele murals, Picasso, and Pop Art.
• Fook Island is described as "the Island of the Imagination."
• Fook Island represents a state of being rather than a physical location.
• It envisions a society with a unique identity and culture.
• Fook Island has unique seals and personal currency.
• It lives through Battiss's writings, paintings, and the Walter Battiss Art Museum.

Elements of Art: Colours

• Primary colours cannot be made by mixing other colours Examples are red, yellow, and blue.
• Secondary colours are made by mixing two primary colours. Examples are orange, green, and purple.
• Tertiary Colours are made by mixing a primary and a secondary colour. Examples are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.
• Tints are colours mixed with white.
• Shades are colours mixed with black.
• Intensity relates to the brightness or dullness of a colour.
• Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour wheel.
• Red and green are complementary colours.
• Yellow and purple are complementary colours.
• Blue and orange are complementary colours.
• Monochromatic colours are variations of one colour mixed with black and/or white.
• Analogous colours are neighbouring colours on the wheel sharing a common colour. Example: yellow-green, green, blue-green.
• Polychromatic colours are the random use of colours and their variations.
• Warm colours (red, orange, yellow) create excitement.
• Cool colours (blue, green) create a calming effect.

Elements of Art: Texture

• Texture refers to the surface quality or feel of an object.
• Simulated texture is seen but not felt (in 2D artworks).
• Tactile texture can be felt.

Elements of Art: Space

• Space refers to depth in a composition.
• Two-dimensional artworks create an illusion of three-dimensional space through perspective.
• Linear perspective involves parallel lines meeting at vanishing points; objects appear smaller with distance.
• Aerial perspective is when the atmosphere softens shapes and colours in the distance.

Elements of Art: Line

• A line is a continuous mark made by a moving point.
• Horizontal lines suggest peace and calm.
• Vertical lines suggest strength and power.
• Diagonal lines suggest movement and restlessness.
• An outline joins itself to create shapes.
• Contour lines define edges of shapes within a form.

Elements of Art: Tonal Value

• Tonal value is the intensity of colour; degree of light and dark.
• It creates volume and three-dimensional shapes.

Elements of Art: Shape and Form

• Shape is a flat, two-dimensional area.
• Form is a three-dimensional shape with height, width, and depth.
• Organic shapes/forms are natural (e.g., leaves, trees).
• Inorganic/geometric shapes are man-made (e.g., square, circle).
• The positive shape is the main shape or object.
• The negative shape is the space or background surrounding the positive shape.

Art Elements Overview

• Art Elements are the 'language' of art.
• Art Elements consist of various elements that provide insight into any artwork.
• Key elements include line, colour, texture, space, shape, form, and tonal value.

Design Principles in Notan: Overview

• Notan (濃淡) is a Japanese design principle that focuses on the balance of light and dark in an artwork.
• Notan helps artists understand how contrasting elements interact to create harmony.
• "Notan" translates to "light-dark" in Japanese.
• Notan refers to the arrangement of positive and negative space in a composition.

Design Principles in Notan: Background

• Notan has its roots in traditional Japanese art, particularly ink painting (sumi-e) and woodblock prints (ukiyo-e).
• Sumi-e (ink) painting uses only black ink on white paper, emphasizing contrast and composition.
• In woodblock prints, light and dark areas work together to create depth and movement.
• In the late 19th century, Western artists were introduced to Japanese elements through the Japonisme movement.
• Artists like Henri Matisse and Vincent van Gogh admired the simplicity and balance of Japanese art.
• Matisse applied Notan principles in his cut-paper collages.

Design Principles in Notan: Key Concepts

• Contrast is the foundation of Notan.
• Contrast relies on the stark difference between light and dark.
• High contrast creates drama and energy; low contrast creates subtlety and softness.
• Unity means all elements in a Notan composition must work together as a cohesive whole.
• Repetition of shapes or patterns creates a sense of movement and rhythm.
• Emphasis and a focal point can be achieved with a well-placed large dark shape in a sea of white, or vice versa.
• Figure-Ground Reversal is the ability to switch between seeing the positive and negative spaces as the main subject.
• Positive space refers to the subject or objects in an artwork.
• Negative space is the background or empty area around the subject.
• Both spaces are equally important; negative space is an active part of the design.
• Notan is based on the idea that light and dark exist together and enhance each other.
• Notan treats light and dark as a single entity, forming a balanced whole.
• Notan compositions seek visual balance between dark and light elements.
• Balance does not necessarily mean symmetry; it can also be achieved asymmetrically.
• A well-balanced Notan design has an even distribution of light and dark.
• Traditional Notan art is two-dimensional but can also suggest depth.
• Overlapping shapes, varied sizes, and well-placed contrast add a sense of movement and layering.
• Symmetry creates balanced, mirrored designs for a sense of order and stability.
• Asymmetry consists of unequal but harmonious arrangements, creating visual interest and movement.