One-Corner

     The one-corner painting method in composition is where the subject is pushed to one corner of the canvas while embellishing the negative space. Ma Yuan is most noted for developing this style during China's Song Dynasty. Often, I have used this stylized composition in my photographs. The negative or empty space flourishes with a vast sensation that gives the subject a direct focus. Then once the subject is acknowledged, the emptiness becomes an additional story line in the photograph's dialogue by creating an ethereal atmosphere. The one-corner produces its sense of boundlessness, however we adhere back to the subject for a visual and mental completion.  It's a wonderful feeling to envelop such a vast state within our minds.