Light

Mention to most people that light is an element of art and they scratch their heads. Something so obvious as light is easily overlooked, making it almost a hidden tool. When it is highlighted in a piece, you know something special is at play but can't pinpoint what. When discussing light and artists my mind immediatly conjures up the images of Monet's Haystack paintings. Monet was one of the first painters to seriously consider light (and how light changes) when creating art. Others have since tried to manipulate the intangible nature of this element including James Turell, whose work borders civil-engineering or even astronomy a bit more than fine art, who creates what can be described as "installations" of light.

James Turrell, "Meeting House"

Space

Space is an interesting dimension of art, and one that can easily be overlooked due to the restrictive nature of most hung paintings. Sculpture, installation, and some rebellious painters use space to alter the viewer's sense of reality, making the otherwise distant feeling of art into something more tangible. Some of my favorite uses of space by artists include Timothy Hutchings whom I profiled in a previous post, the Chanschatz couple, whose paintings defy the typical framed approach for something altogether fresh, and Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy's use of space is the most interesting because the spaces are usually outside, allowing those lucky enough to spot them a rare opportunity to interact with the art in nature.

Storm King Wall by Andy Goldsworthy

Artist Profile: Timothy Hutchings

Timothy Hutchings is a very interesting artist who specializes in installation pieces that consist of many sided shapes, usually made from cardboard and wood. He also produces several pieces that are based on games of the board, video, and war variety. My favorite piece of his (being a hugely unrepentant warhammer 40k nut) is his work titled "The World's Largest Wargaming Table". the manipulation of the area's space is very interesting. I also like that play is encouraged on the piece.

Line

Line is another important element of art. So many things are defined by lines that it becomes easy to overlook their importance. Shape, another element of art, cannot be achieved with out line. Line has a way of drawing the eye to certain parts of a piece of art much in the same way that color can achieve success. Some artists who I believe express the importance of line are Andy Goldsworthy and M.C. Escher.
this is a Goldsworthy piece to the left
and an Escher below.