Motif (visual arts)

In art, a motif is an element of a pattern, an image or part of one, or a theme. A motif may be repeated in a design or composition, often many times, or may just occur once in a work. A motif may be an element in the iconography of a particular subject or type of subject that is seen in other works. Ornamental or decorative art can usually be analysed into a number of different elements, which can be called motifs. These may often, as in textile art be repeated many times in patterns. Important examples in Western art include acanthus, egg and dart, and various types of scrolls.

Many designs in mosques in Islamic culture are motifs, including those of the sun, moon, animals such as horses and lions, flowers, and landscapes. Motifs can have emotional effects and be used for propaganda.

Film

Visual motifs are used in film to establish a mood, such as film noir. Blade Runner is a science fiction film that uses visual motifs effectively; director Ridley Scott used a birthing motif in a previous film Alien.

Patterns

<gallery>Image:Wallpaper group-p2-3.jpg|<center>The Grammar of Ornament Egyptian No 7 (plate 10), image #20</center>Image:Wallpaper group-p6m-1.jpg|<center>Illustration from The Grammar of Ornament...
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