Visual Arts as Human Experience

The person who feels at a loss when he stands before a painting or a piece of sculpture will find here the help and encouragement of an experienced guide. He will begin to understand the basic, least complicated concerns of art; then, in closely related steps, he will consider topics that deal with: the visual arts and language, ways of seeing, visual elements, expression, unity, visual forces and balance, proportion, space and illusions of space, perception and conception, form and content, and the creative process. These topics and more are discussed simply and specifically without resort to technical or modish jargon, and always in reference to a rich array of color plates, black and white reproductions, and explanatory diagrams.