Good things come in threes, right?
A triptych is essentially a picture in three parts. It is a unified artistic or photographic theme broken into three distinct, but related images (or sometimes, three repeated images, if that’s the effect sought by the photographer or artist).
How the images are related to one another, and the manner in which they relate to each other tells a story, establishes a viewpoint, or is a visual commentary on the subject. Because images in a triptych are meant to be viewed together, the overall impression is more harmonious than that of three unrelated and differently-themed pictures (which may also vary in size and framing), hanging together on a wall.
Why do consumers choose to purchase, and artists and photographers to create triptychs? There are several reasons:
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Selkirk
From a purely compositional perspective, objects or framed items that are grouped together in odd numbered configurations are generally of greater visual interest, and more pleasing to the eye than equally spaced and more “rigid” arrangements.
For the artist, a triptych offers an “expanded canvas” to get his or her vision, creative message, or critical concept across to the observer. Three panels offer a central creative focus, plus two supporting side panels. Triptychs are for telling a story, for combining multiple viewpoints, for inducing a reaction in the viewer, or for handling such concepts as past, present, and future; beginning, middle, and end. Three is a manageable number of scenes or images with which to display a scene, impart an idea, or denote progression.
For the purchaser, a triptych solves a number of problems: a) Buying a triptych is generally less expensive than purchasing three distinct compositions by the same artist, or differing artists, b) A triptych has a unified theme and the same artistic or photographic style, thus solving decision dilemmas regarding selection, grouping and arrangement of differing art images, and c) Triptychs fill a wall.
The number ‘three’ is an innately balanced number, and it lends itself well to decorating needs. If there is a long wall in your home, apartment, or office that requires something to break up a tedious expanse of white, a triptych is the solution. Need something significant and impactful in your living area – above a sofa, for instance, or in a dining room? Look for a triptych. A triptych is perfect to hang above a cabinet, a sofa, a chest of drawers, king bed, or in a dining room, or entrance.
With minimal decorating experience, you can create amazing spaces using a photographic art triptych! Use the triptych to center the décor, determine the style, or “feel” of a room, and then emphasize it further with dramatic lighting, and a plant or two. Voila – you’re a pro!
Use a triptych to disguise defects, to optically magnify or reduce the size of a room, or to refocus attention in an awkward space. The eye can be easily fooled. Triptychs can be used to coax or draw the eye in a horizontal direction, or to lower the focus – a great tactic for apartments with unattractive popcorn ceilings or a still-visible old water stain! A triptych can be utilized to make a large room feel smaller, or to make a small room seem larger than it is. The elements of a triptych can be spaced as generously or as tightly as necessary, and still retain artistic and photographic integrity.
Bang for your buck! Need we say more? A triptych makes an instant statement, without a doubt, but it also invites exploration and contemplation. Possibilities for self-expression through owning a triptych are endless, as is the potential for its viewers’ appreciation, and the many interesting conversations it may prompt.
