2. Figure/Ground
Positive/Negative Shape
Relationships in 2D Art

3. Figure/Ground
• Figure/Ground: The figure is the subject (not
necessarily a person, but the emotional
focus), and the ground is the area that the
figure occupies

4. Figure/Ground
• Positive: another name for the “figure”
• Negative: another name for the “ground”

6. Face/Vase
• Rubin face/vase: example of the
figure/ground flip.
• When you see the face it is the figure and
the vase is the ground…when you see the
vase the face is the ground
• Idea was created by a Dutch psychologist
named Edgar Rubin in 1915.

8. Figure/Ground
• When you do two things at once you create a
figure/ground relationship
• If you read a book while watching TV
• If you text while driving
• If you talk to a friend while studying

9. MC Escher
• Born in Holland and studied art at Harlem’s
School of Architecture
• His works explore visual tricks and illusions
• Used figure/ground to show transformation
of objects in his illustrations