From the Introduction: The papers collected in this book are based on the assumption that art, as any other activity of the mind, is subject to psychology, accessible to understanding, and needed for any comprehensive survey of mental functioning. The author believes, furthermore, that the science of psychology is not limited to measurements under controlled laboratory conditions, but must comprise all attempts to obtain generalizations by means of facts as thoroughly established and concepts as well defined as the ...
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From the Introduction: The papers collected in this book are based on the assumption that art, as any other activity of the mind, is subject to psychology, accessible to understanding, and needed for any comprehensive survey of mental functioning. The author believes, furthermore, that the science of psychology is not limited to measurements under controlled laboratory conditions, but must comprise all attempts to obtain generalizations by means of facts as thoroughly established and concepts as well defined as the investigated situation permits. Therefore the psychological findings offered or referred to in these papers range all the way from experiments in the perception of shape or observations on the art work of children to broad deliberations on the nature of images or of inspiration and contemplation. It is also assumed that every area of general psychology calls for applications to art. The study of perception applies to the effects of shape, color, movement, and expression in the visual arts. Motivation raises the question of what needs are fulfilled by the production and reception of art. The psychology of the normal and the disturbed personality searches the work of art for manifestations of individual attitudes. And social psychology relates the artist and his contribution to his fellow men. A systematic book on the psychology of art would have to survey relevant work in all of these areas. My papers undertake nothing of the kind. They are due to one man's outlook and interest, and they report on whatever happened to occur to him. They are presented together because they turn out to be concerned with a limited number of common themes. Often, but unintentionally, a hint in one paper is expanded to full exposition in another, and different applications of one and the same concept are found in different papers. I can only hope that the many overlappings will act as unifying reinforcements rather than as repetitions. These papers represent much of the output of the quarter of a century during which I have been privileged to live, study, and teach in the United States. To me, they are not so much the steps of a development as the gradual spelling-out of a position. For this reason, I have grouped them systematically, not chronologically. For the same reason, I did not hesitate to change the words I wrote years ago wherever I thought I could clarify their meaning. Removed from my original intimacy with the content, I approached the text as an unprepared reader, and when I stumbled, I tried to repair the road. In some instances, I recast whole sections, not in order to bring them up to date, but in the hope of saying better what I meant at the time. Some of the earlier papers led to my book, Art and Visual Perception , which was written in 1951 and first published in 1954- Sections of the articles on perceptual abstraction, on the Gestalt theory of expression, and on Henry Moore are incorporated in that book. Others continued where the book left off, for instance, the attempts to describe more explicitly the symbolism conveyed by visual form. The short piece on inspiration provided the substance for the introductory chapter on creativity in my more recent book, Picasso's Guernica. Finally, in rereading the material, I was surprised to find how many passages point to what is shaping up as my next task, namely, a presentation of visual thinking as the common and necessary way of productive problem solving in any human activity. Ten of the papers in this book were first published in the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism . To mention this is to express my indebtedness to the only scholarly periodical in the United States devoted to the theory of art. In particular, Thomas Munro, its first editor, showed a great trust in the contribution of psychology. He made me feel at home among the philosophers, art historians, and literary critics whose lively propositions inhabit the hostel he founded and sustained.
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Add this copy of Toward a Psychology of Art: Collected Essays to cart. $4.23, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1966 by University of California Press.
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Add this copy of Toward a Psychology of Art to cart. $48.00, like new condition, Sold by Sweet Beagle Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bloomington, IN, UNITED STATES, published 1966 by Univ of California Pr.
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Fine in Fair dust jacket. Fine book in a Fair dust jacket. Dust jacket is rubbed, several taped tears, chipping, age-toned spine, now protected by clear mylar sleeve. Book has no defects; the jacket having done an excellent job protecting the book. Pages are clean and crisp, the binding is tight and square; book appears unread. Bound in robin's egg blue cloth; binding is tight, pages are clean and unmarked. This is the first edition. Classic work in beautiful condition with a servicable dust jacket. Small 4to 9"-11" tall. 369 pages. D7.
Add this copy of Toward a Psychology of Art [Jul 01, 1966] Arnheim, to cart. $69.00, good condition, Sold by Book Trader Cafe rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NEW HAVEN, CT, UNITED STATES, published 1966 by Univ of California Pr.
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Good in Acceptable jacket. First printing, Univ. of California, 1966. SIGNED and inscribed by author on half-title page: "To R___ + S___ B___ / Rudolf Arnheim." Dustjacket is heavily aged, worn, torn and chipped, but is not price-clipped and is covered in a new protective mylar sleeve. Unmarked text; tanned pages; some foxing to top edge; light musty smell to pages. Secure binding. Ships from New Haven, CT the same or next business day with Free Tracking! We fully guarantee to ship the exact same item as listed and work hard to maintain our excellent customer service.
