Jo Quigley
As students of art, one of the first things we learn is the rule of thirds, a guide to help create more harmonious or pleasing compositions. This is where the picture is divided into thirds vertically and horizontally and key elements are placed along these lines or at intersections. As the horizon, or eye level, is probably the first and arguably the most important dividing line, it is no surprise that more often than not it is placed safely along one of these lines, thus dividing the space into a third and two thirds. But what happens if you were to ignore the rules and place it higher or lower than a third, or choose to leave it out completely? I find myself strangely drawn to works that do just that.
Placing the horizon