Split and the Structure

Rudolf Arnheim's great forte is his ability to illuminate the perceptual processes that go into the making and reception of artworks-painting, sculpture, architecture, and film. Over the years, his pioneering mode of "e;reading"e; art from a unique scientific/philosophic perspective has garnered him an established and devoted audience. That audience will take pleasure in Arnheim's most recent collection of essays, one that covers a range of topics and includes titles such as "e;Outer Space and Inner Space,"e; "e;What Is an Aesthetic Fact?,"e; "e;As I Saw Children's Art,"e; "e;Two Ways of Being Human,"e; "e;Consciousness-an Island of Images,"e; and "e;From Chaos to Wholeness."e;The notion of structure is Arnheim's guide in these explorations. Most of the essays examine the nature of structure affirmatively: how it comes about, its incentives and objectives, its celebration of perfection. He is interested in how artists grope for structure to shape powerful, enlightening images, and how a scientist's search for truth is a search for structure.Writing with enviable clarity, even when deploying complex arguments, Arnheim makes it easy and exciting to follow him as he thinks. America is not abundantly supplied with "e;public intellectuals"e; such as Rudolf Arnheim-to have his writings with us is cause for celebration. "e;The word 'structure' appears for good reason in the title of this collection. . . . Structure seems to be needed as an arbiter wherever this civilization of ours is split by selfish interests and fighting for either/or decisions. The essays want to speak with the voice of reason, because they want to show how the parts require the whole."e;