The Application of Gestalt Theory on Art and Photography

Chun-Hui Chiu

The Gestalt

Gestalt, a psychological term from German, means to make unified entire as “whole” or “form”

Austrian philosopher Christian von Ehrenfels (1859-1932) depict extra elements of perceiving of human brain

Max Wertheim, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka found the law of

gestalt was that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Laws of Organization in Perception Form (1923) by Max Wertheimer.

Keyword: Structuralism, Memory, Tendency

The Principle of Gestalt Theory on Images

The notion of the whole is different from the sum of its parts

similarity, symmetry, and figure-ground

Fig. 1 Kanizsa’s fictional triangle

Fig. 2 L’ Urne Mysterieuse, 1774 by Pierre Crussaire.

Common boundary

1. Law of Figure/Ground

Figure and Ground? Distance Be seen in order Size Shape

Artists and designers consider:

Tendency of grouping Effectively contrast

Fig. 3 Push

by Pete Turner.

The same contour of figure and ground

Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional

Depth

Fig. 4 Jungbauern

Westerwald, 1914 by

August Sander

2. Law of Proximity and Similarity

repeated characteristics, group

Proximity closer together, up and down,

side by side, and front to back

Similarity resemblance , size, colour, shape

and so on Dissimilarity be used as focus among

similarities.

Fig. 5 Nude 1936, by Edward Weston.

3. Law of Continuation smooth, continuous lines

without directional changes

attention for perception by means of direction

various paths

Motion pictures in space and time

Fig. 6 The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo.

4. Law of Closure the mind perceptually fills in the missing information or closes up

incomplete objects to make a whole. quality of tension how artists consider to remove the unessential parts and to

strengthen the degree of tension in their works

Fig. 7 Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932

by Henri Cartier-Bresson

Gestalt principle Closure similarity and

symmetry figure and ground

Conclusion

Gestalt Advantage: useful strategies in art and design composition of art

Deficiency: ignores the relation of cultural subject for individual

viewpoint lead to shortage of humanities constructed the substantial centre of art.

Solution: combination of artistic thought and perception to extend

the concept of gestalt.