Varieties of visual experience

546 Pages·1992·83.47 MB·English

by  Edmund Burke Feldman

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Canartexpandourknowledgeoftheworldandits
people?Theanswer,beautifullyputforthin Vari-
etiesofVisualExpedience,isadefiniteyes!Inthis
fascinatingbook. Professor Edmund Feldman ex-
plores the vital connectionsbetweenvisual forms and ev-
er^'dayconteinporar)'life.
Thetextbeginsbyexplaininghowartisused,examin-
ingthedynamicinterplaybetweenartandpersonalexpres-
sion,artandsocialcommunication,andartandthephysical
environment. It then goes on to analyze various artistic
styles—themodesofexpressionthatcutacrosschronolog-
—
ical,geographic,national,andethnic categories and pro-
videsanimaginativesystemofclassificationfordealingwith
the often bewildering array ofcontemporary' art objects.
The discussion movesnextto acompellinganalysisofthe
waysinwhichthevisualelementsandthebasicconceptsof
artareorganizedandhowtheyareperceived.
In the next section, the major art forms ofpainting,
sculpture, architecture,photography, and cinema are con-
sideredthroughhistoricalcomparisonsandexaminationof
theworksofpreeminentartistsofourtime.Here,theem-
phasis is on howtechnique affectswhat artistscreate and
whattheviewersees.ModernartmovementssuchasPop,
Op,Assemblage,Environments,Happenings,PrimaryStruc-
tures,Earthworks,ShapedCanvases,andMegastructuresare
discussed.Theinclusionofhandcraftsandindustrialdesign,
helpstoprovideabalancedpictureofourvisualworld.Tlie
final section of the book offers a practical guide to art
—
criticism theprocessofforminginterpretationsandjusti-
fyingevaluationsofindividualworksofart.
InthisFourthEditionofVarietiesofVisualExpetience,
manyexcitingchangeshavebeenintroduced.Anewchap)-
terontheaestheticsofarthasbeenincluded.Therearenow
300colorimagesand45newillustrationshavebeenadded
ft-omaroundtheworld.Thebibliographyhasbeenrevised,
theglossaryexpanded,andthetime-linesupdated.Thevir-
tuesofthepreviouseditionhavealsobeenretained:large,
oftenfull-page,illustrations;aliighlyreadabletextandlong
captions; and the careful juxtaposition ofcontrasting or
complementary works to help the reader develop critical
insight.
ThenewVarietiesofVisualExperienceoffersavisual
andintellectualfeast.
867illustratiotjs. including300platesinfullcolor
VARIETIES OF VISUAL EXPERIENCE

VAR
T
E E
S
I I
FOURTH EDITION
VISUAL
OF
EDMUND BURKE FEED MAN
ProfessorofArt, UniversityofGeorgia
EXPERIENCE
PRENTICE HALL, INC., and HARRY N. ABRAMS. INC.,
PUBLISHERS
TO MERRILL
1928-1972
ProjectManager: Sheila Franklin Lieber
Editor:JoanneGreenspun
Art Direction: Dirk Luykx
Designers: Gilda Hannah, withGayleJaeger
PhotoResearch: Catherine Ruello
LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData
Feldman,EdmundBurke. —
Varietiesofvisualexperience/EdmundBurkeFeldman. -Ithed,
p. cm.
Includesbifiliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN—0-13-953449-0(pbk.)
1.Art Psychology.2,Composition(Art)3.Visualperception.
I.Title.
N71.F42 1992
701—dc20 92-7771
CIP
FourthEdition1992
Textcopyright©1992EdmundBurkeFeldman
Illustrationscopyright©1987, 1992HarryN.Abrams,Inc.
Publishedin1992byHarryN.Abrams,Incorporated,NewYork
ATimesMirrorCompany
PrenticeHall,Inc.
Simon&Schuster/AViacomCompany
UpperSaddleRiver.NewJersey07458
Allrightsreserved.Nopanofthecontentsofthisbookmaybe
reproducedwithoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher
PrintedandboundinJapan
Contents
Preface 9
PART ONE
THE FUNCTIONS OF ART
CHAPTERONE PERSONALFUNCTIONS OFART 12
ArtandPsychologicalExpression 12
Love,Sex,andMarriage 15
DeathandMorbidity 22
SpiritualConcern 29
AestheticExpression 36
CHAPTERTWO THE SOCIALFUNCTIONS OFART 43
PoliticalandIdeologicalExpression 45
SocialDescription 51
Satire 58
GraphicCommunication 62
CHAPTERTHREE THE PHYSICALFLINCTIONS OFART 72
Architecaire:TheDwelling 74
Large-ScaleDesign:TlieCommunity' 86
TheCraftsandIndustrialDesign 106
PARTTWO
THE STYLES OF ART
CHAPreRFOUR THESTYLEOFOBJECn\^ ACCLIRACY 123
TheImitationofAppearances 123
Tlie.'\rtistasDetachedObserver 127
TlieArtistasSelectiveEye 129
VariationsoftheStyle 134
DevicesofObjectiveAccuracy 137
CROFTERn\T THE ST\TE OF FORMALORDER 143
TlieTransientandthePermanent 14^
KindsofFormalOrder 146
Conclusion 162
CRWTRSIX THEST^TEOFEMOTION 164
RomanticismandEmotion 166
TheRoleofDistortion 1^5
AnxietyandDespair 175
JoyandCelebration 181
CROFTERSE\-EN THESTYTEOFFANTASY 186
Myth 188
DreamsandHallucinations 189
ScientificFantasy 199
FantasyandIllusionism 199
PART THREE
THE STRUCTURE OF ART
CROFTEREiGRT THEVISUALELEMENTS: GRAMMAR 207
Line 207
Shape 211
UghtandDark 217
Color 226
Texture 231
cuAPreRNINE ORGANIZINGTHE ELEMENTS: DESIGN 234
Unity 236
Balance 240
Rlivthm 243
Proportion 248
Conclusion 249
CHAFTERTEN PERCEIVINGTHE ELEMENTS: AESTHETICS 251
AestheticWork 251
AestheticExperience 252
EmpathyandPsychicDistance 254
ClosureandGoodGestalt 257
FundingandFusion 260
LikingandDisliking 261
Cross-CulruralFactors 264
Conclusion 265
PART FOUR
THE INTERACTION OF MEDIUM AND
MEANING
CHAPTERELEVEN PAINTING 269
TheFugitiveandthePermanent 270
DirectandIndirectTechniques 274
BrushworkandEmotion 278
Frottage,Grattage,andDecalcomania 291
ThePictureandtheWall 294
BeyondCollage:Assemblage,Environments,Happenings 297
MinimalandColorFieldPainting 314
TheShapedCanvas 317
EroticArt 318
Conclusion 322
CHAPTERTWELVE SCULPTURE 323
Modeling,Carving,Casting,andConstructing 323
FromMonolithtoOpenForm 335
Constructivism 3'+0
SculpturalAssemblage 351
Niches,Boxes,andGrottoes 360
BeyondConstructivism:PrimaryStructures 366
KineticSculpture 368
SculpaireandtheCrafts 374
Conclusion 377
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN ARCHITECTURE 380
TheClassicMaterials 380
ModernMaterials 390
TheStrucairal Devices 398
ConstructorsandSculptors 420
1
CHAPTERFOURTEEN PHOTOGRAPHY 429
PhotographyandReality 430
PhotographyandPainting 431
TheAmateuruithaCamera 433
InstantaneousSeeing 437
Photojournalism 438
PrincipleoftheFrame 441
PhotographyandAbstraction 442
TliePhotographicSlide 444
TliePhotographerasArtist 445
PhotographicCriticism 44?
CHAPTERFIFTEEN IMAGES INMOTION: FILMANDTELEVISION 455
TheManipulationofSpace-Time 456
FilmandTVTypes 460
FilmedVersusTelevisedImagery 46l
FilmsandDreams 462
TheDemocracyofFilm 463
TheCriticali^preciationofCinema 464
Conclusion 466
PART FIVE
THE PROBLEMS OF ART CRITICISM
CHAPTERSIXTEEN THETHEORYOFARTCRITICISM 469
TheToolsofArtCriticism 47
TypesofArtCriticism 473
KindsofCriticalJudgment 476
Conclusion 486
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN THE CRITICALPERFORMANCE 487
Description 487
FormdAnalysis 490
Interpretation 494
Judgment 503
Conclusion 510
Glossary 511
Time-Lines 516
SelectedBibliography 524
Index 528
PhotoCredits 541