The visual arts are unique in that they form a nexus where craft, technology, philosophy, and the imagination come together to make something that is both wonderful and necessary. This book provides an account of how one hundred powerful ideas and principles intersect with the practice of making art. The number, of course, is not definitive, and many more chapters could be included. The ideas presented range from very broad principles, such as harmony or rhythm, to more precise and local ideas, such as Mannerism or Minimalism. I have given a clear and concise presentation of these ideas and have provided for many of them an account of the strategies that artists have used to bring them into play.
The book will be of considerable use to artists who wish to understand and explore the art of the past and get a sense of what kinds of original enterprises are possible in the future. For the art student, it will provide a rich and varied focus for discussion and learning as well as a stimulating look at how physical work in the studio relates to the play of ideas within the culture at large. For the art lover, it will provide a valuable additional frame of reference and an enjoyable, informative, and provocative companion in exploring the pleasures of art.
The arrangement of the chapters is alphabetical for the purpose of easy access and reference. Most chapters take up two facing pages: The first page explains the subject in succinct and straightforward language. The facing page displays illustrations that demonstrate the principle at work.
Although I have tried to find examples from as broad a range of art as possible, you will quickly note that they are heavily weighted toward Western art. This is the tradition that has generated the most diverse and active change in recent centuries. The principles, however, apply to all cultures. Indeed, one of the fascinating things about art is that, although it emerges from a cultural matrix, it is readily understood across many cultures. French Impressionism is popular in Japan, just as Japanese prints have a ready following in Europe. Tribal art is collected in New York, and Shakespeare is performed in Africa. Art is a universal human utterance, and as we share it around the globe with pleasure and passion, we are all enriched immeasurably.