Wladyslaw Strzeminski Theory of seeing Krakow 1958 first edition Wydawnictwo Literackie Foreword: Julian Przyboś 274(5)s. + board with portrait of author on frontispiece, errata preserved o. booklet + wrappers pp. bdb (minimally trimmed top edge of wrapper?) "What determines the way we perceive reality? Why did the ancient Greeks apprehend the world differently from 20th century avant-garde artists? And what is realism? These key questions for aesthetics are discussed by Władysław Strzemiński in his Theory of Seeing. First published in 1958. (...) In The Theory of Seeing, Strzeminski theoretically summarized his artistic activity and aesthetic reflection. His theory starts from the premise that our image of the world is constantly evolving, the ways in which we look at it are changing and growing, and that external conditions have a decisive influence: historical experience, cultural and social background. "In the process of seeing, it is not what the eye mechanically grasps that is important, but what a person realizes from his vision," says Poland's most important avant-garde artist. After all, through the analysis of visual stimuli, their generalization and verification, visual consciousness is formed, and the development of vision takes place on two levels - as a result of biological evolution and changes in man's perception of reality. And that is why in each epoch there appear its own - and different from previous epochs - perception of reality and artistic practice. The Theory of Seeing is the fruit of Strzeminski's long reflection and a remarkable testimony to the theoretical consciousness of an artist who permanently influenced the development of the visual arts. It is a work that teaches how to look at changes in artistic perception over time, explains the relationship between the evolution of society and changes in art. As Prof. Iwona Luba points out, "The Theory of Seeing defines conscious seeing and shows its transformations under the influence of various cultural and civilization factors, at the same time pointing out the reciprocity of interactions." source..: https://msl.org.pl/teoria-widzenia/ |