Final answer:
Formal elements provide a foundational vocabulary for visual expression, allowing artists to communicate moods and messages through their work's composition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Formal elements must always be considered because they provide a vocabulary of visual expression. These elements, including line, shape, color, texture, space, and mass, can be seen independently of an artwork's content or historical context. They are intrinsic to the composition of a piece, affecting the balance, movement, scale, and overall impression it leaves. They are essential for formal analysis, which assesses an artwork's visual impact on the observer.
Through careful use of these elements, artists communicate and reinforce particular moods, meanings, or messages. Formal analysis then becomes an indispensable tool in comprehending the effects of these visual elements on the viewer. By employing formal analysis, one can analyze and discuss artwork at a deeper level, assessing how the combination of different elements influences our perception and emotions.