Balla underwent a dramatic change in his painting style when
he began to look at light, movement and speed. He watched scenes such as a bike
being ridden, then illustrated these to highlight these key features. The
object is not seen in his work, as it is shown almost like a vapour trail of
the movement, continuing across the page. He used layers to create this effect
so that each small motion could be drawn in a fluid way, one after the other
overlapping so you can visualise the movement even without the initial object
there. He uses many thin lines and contrasting colours which aid the sense of
speed whilst showing the effect of light on the objects.
I have incorporated this mechanical interpretation of
movement into my own work, but I have used it within more natural surroundings.
I have used it to show the speed and action of a dragonfly’s wings and Balla’s
detailed pieces have helped me to apply movement onto a still painting.
