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The Power of the Center A Study of Composition in Visual Arts 1988 239 pages Complementary Texts Rudolf Arnheim -- Visual Thinking Charles Kostelnick and David Roberts Gunther Kress and Theo Van Leeuwen Keywords Resources Rudolf Arnheim: The Little
Owl on the Shoulder of Athene by Roy R. Behrens Copyright © 2003-2009 Isabel Pedersen |
Arnheim builds an argument upon the notion of two
dynamic systems, centricity and eccentricity, that occur in life and become
substantiated in art. On centricity, he writes: “the centric stands for the self-centered attitude that characterizes the human outlook and motivation at the beginning of life and remains powerful throughout. The infant sees himself as the center of the world surrounding him. Things are understood as being directed toward and away from him, and his actions are controlled by his own needs and wishes, his pleasures and fears. A social group, be it a family, an association of persons, a nation or even humanity as a whole in its relation to nature, retains centricity as a strong component of its outlook and motivation.” (2) And upon
eccentricity: “Soon enough,
however, the self-centered individual or group is compelled to recognize that
its own center is only one among others and that the powers and needs of
other centers cannot be ignored without peril. This more realistic worldview
complements the centric tendency with an eccentric one.” (2) He goes on to
analyze in visual art (paintings, sculpture and architecture) how these dynamic
forces configure meaning for the viewer. |