Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The Dot
The identity of a dot is that of a point of focused attention; the dot simultan-
eously contracts inward and radiates outward. A dot anchors itself in any space into
which it is introduced and provides a reference point for the eye relative to other forms
surrounding it, including other dots, and its proximity to the edges of a format's space.
As seemingly simple a form as it might appear, however, a dot is a complex object, the
fundamental building block of all other forms. As a dot increases in size to cover a lar-
ger area, and its outer contour becomes noticeable, even differentiated, it still remains a
dot. Every shape or mass with a recognizable center—a square, a trapezoid, a triangle,
a blob—is a dot, no matter how big it is. True, such a shape's outer contour will interact
with space around it more dramatically when it becomes bigger, but the shape is still
essentially a dot. Even replacing a “flat” graphic shape with a photographic object, such
as a silhouetted picture of a clock, will not change its fundamental identity as a dot. Re-
cognizing this essential quality of the dot form, regardless of what other characteristics
it takes on incidentally in specific occurrences, is crucial to understanding its visual ef-
fect in space and its relationship to adjacent forms.