Butterfly and Strelitzia c. 20th century

Editor: This is Robert John Gibbings’ "Butterfly and Strelitzia," a print from the Harvard Art Museums. The stark contrast is striking! What do you see in this piece? Curator: Note the strategic use of line and form; Gibbings manipulates positive and negative space to create visual interest. How does the interplay between the butterfly and the flower guide your eye? Editor: It moves around the image, from the butterfly to the leaves. The shapes are really interesting. Curator: Precisely! Gibbings uses the formal elements to draw us into the image, the texture of the leaves contrasts with the butterfly. This is form communicating to the viewer. Editor: Thank you, I see it now! Curator: Indeed. It illustrates how the artist can communicate using just forms, lines, and composition.