Shape

A composition that effectively contrasts RECTILINEAR/GEOMETRIC shape (the block next to the figure) and CURVILINEAR/ORGANIC shape (the figure).



Rectilinear, geometric shape




Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. The building makes use of contrast between organic/curvilinear shape and geometric/rectilinear shape.




An example of the importance of "negative shape".  The negative shapes are just as deliberately  employed as the positive ones.  They are part of the piece, not simply "left over space" Also see textbook, p. 85