Repetition of features, harmony of points, lines, areas, patches, bodies,
proportions, textures, and colours are all subjects for rhythm. A rhythm
can be repeated like a musical beat with characteristic regularity, in up and
down, strong and weak, long and short features. But it can also be
irregular, continual, in free, flowing movement. Great strength is
associated with everything that is rhythmic. The rhythm of the tides
changes the coastlines of continents; the monoform rhythm of the dances
of African tribes, which continue for days and nights, drives people into
states of ecstasy. Young people experience the rhythm in dancing and
jazz. This consideration made Itten choose the way he used to introduce
the students to rhythmical creation. To begin with, he had them step out in
a marching rhythm and beat time with their hands. The rigidity of this
simplest rhythm was to grip the whole body forcefully. he then counted a
triple beat, so that the stress was first on the right foot, then on the left.
Various changes followed, and sometimes two students danced in a
syncopated rhythm to a record. These rhythms were then drawn on paper:
the marching rhythm was represented with stressed and unstressed
straight lines, the treble rhythm with elements of the circle. Different
stresses scanned the progress of movement when a march or waltz
rhythm was stopped after a few beats and continued at irregular intervals,
everybody found the interruption of the rhythmical movement almost
painful. To let the students experience the circular rhythm Itten made them
stand up and, loudly counting, swing their arms, with clubs or bottles in
their hands in circles or figures-of-eight. It was important that their
thoughts should progress at the rhythm of the movement. All the exercises
had to be repeated in the form of drawings. The experience of a flowing
movement is very impressive indeed whenever the forms are continuously
related in the harmony of unison. For example, if you want to draw a
thistle, you should have experienced the sharp prickles and the many
opposing directions in which the plant defends itself. While the drawing is
in progress, the sensation of the defensive character of the thistle must
remain alive, so that meaningful and expressive forms can be created in
violent pointed and stabbing movements (Fig 4).
Fig 4 Thistle (G Stolzl, Weimer, 1920)
