Rudolf Arnheim
The Power of the Center: A Study of Composition in the Visual Arts.
University of California Press, 1982. First printing. 0520044266 xii/223 pages.
Volume, measuring approximately 6.5" x 9.75", is bound in brown cloth, with stamped gilt lettering to spine. Book is in near fine condition, with previous owner's name stamped at top edge of front flyleaf, together with small notation "6/55" in marker. Small price sticker appears at top of front pastedown. Dust jacket displays shelfwear, with small closed tears at top edge. Jacket is preserved in mylar cover.
"...focuses on two fundamental spatial patterns whose interaction accounts for the structure of works of visual arts: the concentric or cosmic system, in which shapes are controlled by the power of an internal center; and the more terrestrial system of the Cartesian framework, in which a grid of verticals and horizontals organizes reponses to an external center of gravitational attraction. Using a wealth of examples, Arnheim shows how the complementary properties of these two systems enable visual design to represent the human experience symbolically in paintings, statues, or buildings."