Shapes are often described in terms of their formal qualities. The properties of the shapes used in a composition can communicate much about the nature of an object or the intent of the artist. Geometric shapes might be used to indicate solidity or rigidity. Likewise, organic shapes may used to create a more relaxed, natural and fluid feeling. Objective shapes have a powerful associative effect, referring to objects in the real world, while the inventiveness of nonobjective shapes can suggest a sense of artificiality or novelty when they are used abstractly in a non-representational work of art.
