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The Gestalt of Composition

by Michael Fulks

Since the time of the Greeks, artists and scientists alike have tried to quantify what makes good design or composition. The Greeks came up the "golden rule" which is very close to what we now know as "the rule of thirds." In fact, they went further by describing exact mathematical dimensions for their concept of the ideal. This ideal came to influence classical drawing and sculpture.

Early this century German and Austrian psychologists pursued a similar quest through the school of thought known as Gestalt, a German word meaning "shape." It was their goal to learn how the mind perceived and processed visual input. The result was a theory of principles, supposedly free from subjective aesthetic bias, that artists have been able to use to present visual information - whether it be the printed page, painting or photography. This theory is called "Gestalt theory" and although it may use unfamiliar names or titles, these principles should be familiar to most photographers.

Check out the following series on this subject.

Gesalt: "Equilibrium"
by Michael Fulks
The first in a series about composition.

Gesalt: "Closure"
by Michael Fulks
The second in a series about composition.

Gestalt: Proximity 
by Michael Fulks
Third on a series about composition. 

Gestalt: Lines of Sight 
Michael Fulks talks about the concept of "Continuity" as an aid to composition in the fourth article in a series.

Gestalt: Figure/Ground
Next article in a series on using the concepts of perception to help design your photographs.

Gestalt: Isomorphic Correspondence
Sixth in a series, Michael Fulks discusses  how our brain processes images and how this knowledge will make your images more meaningful to others.