Closure is the process through which we create implied shapes by perceiving an organizing principle that unites various elements. We don't need complete contours to perceive a shape. We will mentally close the gaps, continue the contours and group objects together in order to create shapes that seem familiar or complete to us. Closure is one of several organizing principles that were investigated by Gestalt psychologists in an attempt to understand why we perceive implied shapes. Their findings are important to the visual arts because they help to explain how we recognize and understand the things we see.
