The emphasis on two-dimensional stylization of natural forms led Art Nouveau artists to focus on the visual and kinesthetic qualities of different kinds of lines.
In his 1897 article in published in Decorative Kunst, the architect and designer August Endell detailed qualities of straight and curved lines, thin and thick lines, and the direction of these lines in terms of tension (light and heavy) and tempo (slow and quick).
By combining different types of lines to create shapes, Endell made the following claim:
“And because all sensations are only tempo and tension, form is able to awaken all shades of emotion within us.”
Could Endell’s design ideas be the inspiration for Rudolf Laban’s notion of effort/shape affinities?
Find out more in the upcoming MoveScape observation workshop, Harmonies of Effort and Shape, starting in July.