Invisual art,horror vacui (Latin for 'fear of empty space';UK:/ˌhɒrəˈvækjuaɪ/;US:/-ˈvɑːk-/), orkenophobia (Greek for 'fear of the empty'),[1] is a phenomenon in which the entire surface of a space or anartwork is filled with detail and content, leaving as little perceived emptiness as possible.[2] It relates to the antiquated physical idea,horror vacui, proposed byAristotle who held that "nature abhors an empty space".[3]
Italian art critic and scholarMario Praz used this term to describe the excessive use of ornament in design during theVictorian age.[4] Other examples ofhorror vacui can be seen in the densely decoratedcarpet pages ofInsular illuminated manuscripts, where intricate patterns and interwoven symbols may have served "apotropaic as well as decorative functions."[5] The interest in meticulously filling empty spaces is also reflected inArabesque decoration in Islamic art from ancient times to present. The art historianErnst Gombrich theorized that such highly ornamented patterns can function like a picture frame for sacred images and spaces: "The richer the elements of the frame, the more the centre will gain in dignity".[check quotation syntax][6]
Another example comes from ancient Greece during theGeometric Age (1100–900 BCE), whenhorror vacui was considered a stylistic element of all art. The mature work of the French Renaissance engraverJean Duvet consistently exhibitshorror vacui.
Horror vacui is apparent in some styles ofpostmoderngraphic design, including the work of artists likeDavid Carson orVaughan Oliver, and in theunderground comix movement in the work ofS. Clay Wilson,Robert Crumb,Robert Williams, and later comic artists such asMark Beyer. The paintings of Williams,Faris Badwan, Emerson Barrett,Joe Coleman andTodd Schorr are further examples of horror vacui in the modernLowbrow art movement.[citation needed]
Theentheogen-inspiredvisionary art of certainindigenous peoples, such as theHuichol yarn paintings and theayahuasca-inspired art ofPablo Amaringo, often exhibits this style, as does thepsychedelic art movement of the1960s counterculture. Sometimes the patterned art in the clothing of indigenous peoples of Middle and South America exhibits horror vacui. For example, the geometricmolas of theGuna people and the traditional clothing of theShipibo-Conibo people.
The artwork in theWhere's Wally? series of children's books is a commonly known example of horror vacui, as are many of the small books written or illustrated by the macabre imagination ofEdward Gorey.
TheTingatinga painting style of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania is a contemporary example of horror vacui. Other African artists such asMalangatana of Mozambique also fill the canvas in this way.
The arrangement ofAncient Egyptianhieroglyphs suggests an abhorrence of empty space. Signs were repeated orphonetic complements added to prevent gaps.
There is a relationship betweenhorror vacui and its inverse phenomenon, value perception. Commercial designers favor visual clarity in window displays and advertising in order to appeal to affluent and well-educated consumers, on the premise that understatement and restraint appeals to more affluent and educated audiences.[4]
In a study, clothing stores were surveyed to find patterns and relationship between how efficiently the store's real estate was used and the store's brand prestige; Bulk sales shops and chain stores were found to fill their window displays to maximum capacity, effectively exhibiting the principle ofhorror vacui, while high-end boutiques often used their space sparsely with no price tags. The assumption was that if passersby needed to know the price, they could not afford it.[7]
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