Techniques of Sonia Delaunay's Paintings
- Like Cubism, Orphism was an abstract artistic movement. It was based on non-representational elements, and often had a large focus on geometry. It was meant to push the boundaries of what could be considered art.
- Orphism, however, was more concerned with appealing to the senses. While Cubist paintings were often monochromatic and had morose subject matter, Orphism's focus was on bringing color and musicality to their work. More often than not, paintings were simply shapes, lines, and splotches of color, but they had a lightheartedness that was supposed to lift the spirits. The Delaunays were particularly interested in experimenting with the "law of simultaneous contrast of colors," which used overlapping planes of contrasting colors to create movement and elicit positive emotional reactions. They explored the effects of color and light through color combinations without binding them to an object.
- While Orphism as a whole was concerned with the use of color, Sonia's color choices were particularly bold, bright and unique. Her designs focused on stripes, zig-zags and concentric geometrical patterns. Occasionally, she would break away from purely abstract paintings and include women in her scenes. Along with painting, she utilized drawing, embroidery, stenciling and sewing in her work.
- During the 1920s, Sonia Delaunay began to expand her artistic boundaries by bringing the same concepts of Orphism to textile design. Hollywood actresses and socialites loved her designs, since the playfulness of her fabrics perfectly mirrored the frivolity of the era.