Rudolf Arnheim (1904-2007) was Professor Emeritus of the Psychology of Art at Harvard University and the author of many books, including Film as Art and Visual Thinking.

"Arnheim was a distinguished psychologist, philosopher and critic whose work explored the cognitive basis of art—how we interpret it and, by extension, the world."

• IntroductionI. TWO SPATIAL SYSTEMSA master key to composition. Centricity and eccentricity. Vectorsand their targets. Interaction of the systems.II. CENTERS AND THEIR RIVALSGeometric and dynamic. The pull of gravity. The visual centerunderneath. Varieties of weight. Sculpture and the ground. Matisse under pressure.III. THE VIEWER AS A CENTERSelf-centered vision. Various positions in space. A slab in suspense. Seeing the world sideways. The viewer as an influence. Looking into depth.IV. LIMITS AND FRAMESEnclosures spread energy. Tampering with the range. The functions of frames. Framed space not quite closed. Rectangular formats. Challenges to the middle. Perspective creates a center.V. TONDO AND SQUAREFloating shapes. Tondi stress the middle. The role of eccentricity. Disks inside. The oval. Squares balance the coordinates. Albers's nests of squares. Mondrian overrides centricity. A square by Munch.VI. CENTERS AS HUBS Providing stability. Tension through deviation. Dynamics of the human figure. Saltimbanques and Guernica.VII. CENTERS AS DIVIDERSBipolar composition. The necessary latch. Diagonals. Noli me tangere.VIII. VOLUMES AND NODESVolumes and vectors interacting. Kinds of nodes. Nodes of the body. Faces and hands. Singing man.IX. SPACE IN DEPTHPerceiving the third dimension. Objects behaving in space. Enclosures replacing frames. The added view of projection. Continuity of space. What perspective contributes. Time inspace. The symbolism of the frontal plane.X. CENTERS AND GRIDS IN BUILDINGSGrids prevail. Design in elevation. Design on the ground. Coping with full space.XI. FURTHERMOREComposition in time. Are there exceptions? A physical foundation. Composition carries meaning.GlossaryBibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex

Rudolf Arnheim (1904-2007) was Professor Emeritus of the Psychology of Art at Harvard University and the author of many books, including Film as Art and Visual Thinking.

"Arnheim was a distinguished psychologist, philosopher and critic whose work explored the cognitive basis of art—how we interpret it and, by extension, the world."

• IntroductionI. TWO SPATIAL SYSTEMSA master key to composition. Centricity and eccentricity. Vectorsand their targets. Interaction of the systems.II. CENTERS AND THEIR RIVALSGeometric and dynamic. The pull of gravity. The visual centerunderneath. Varieties of weight. Sculpture and the ground. Matisse under pressure.III. THE VIEWER AS A CENTERSelf-centered vision. Various positions in space. A slab in suspense. Seeing the world sideways. The viewer as an influence. Looking into depth.IV. LIMITS AND FRAMESEnclosures spread energy. Tampering with the range. The functions of frames. Framed space not quite closed. Rectangular formats. Challenges to the middle. Perspective creates a center.V. TONDO AND SQUAREFloating shapes. Tondi stress the middle. The role of eccentricity. Disks inside. The oval. Squares balance the coordinates. Albers's nests of squares. Mondrian overrides centricity. A square by Munch.VI. CENTERS AS HUBS Providing stability. Tension through deviation. Dynamics of the human figure. Saltimbanques and Guernica.VII. CENTERS AS DIVIDERSBipolar composition. The necessary latch. Diagonals. Noli me tangere.VIII. VOLUMES AND NODESVolumes and vectors interacting. Kinds of nodes. Nodes of the body. Faces and hands. Singing man.IX. SPACE IN DEPTHPerceiving the third dimension. Objects behaving in space. Enclosures replacing frames. The added view of projection. Continuity of space. What perspective contributes. Time inspace. The symbolism of the frontal plane.X. CENTERS AND GRIDS IN BUILDINGSGrids prevail. Design in elevation. Design on the ground. Coping with full space.XI. FURTHERMOREComposition in time. Are there exceptions? A physical foundation. Composition carries meaning.GlossaryBibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex