The two diagonals of the basic plane carry contrasting tensions: the lyric diagonal (calm) and the dramatic diagonal (complex)

When a diagonal is drawn through the square BP, two fundamentally different tensions arise depending on direction. The diagonal from lower-left to upper-right (cb in Kandinsky’s notation) is the ‘lyric’ tension — milder, more balanced. The diagonal from upper-left to lower-right (da) is the ‘dramatic’ tension — more complex, carrying a diversion upward from its purely diagonal course. These are not subjective labels but structural consequences of the BP’s own above/below/left/right tension asymmetries. Kandinsky notes he used the diagonal structure in his own paintings without becoming conscious of it until later, confirming the BP’s tensions operate below explicit awareness. For live visual coding, the two diagonal directions in a frame produce detectably different energy even with identical visual elements.

Examples

A line or shape oriented from lower-left to upper-right (lyric diagonal) in a visual patch carries quieter energy than the same element oriented from upper-left to lower-right (dramatic diagonal). In an audio-visual set, the lyric diagonal might suit sustained tones; the dramatic diagonal suits percussive, complex passages.

Assessment

Create two identical visual patches differing only in one element’s diagonal direction (lyric vs dramatic). Show them side by side to a viewer without labeling. Can they identify which is calmer? Does changing the canvas orientation reverse the distinction?