Art for Today [antikvár]

The environment in which you iive is a tótat axpefíenoe,';ft makes contact with all of your senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smeífing, tasting. It may be a densely populated city with táti apartment buildings or rows of houses afong tree-lined macadam streets. tt may be a subúrban devetop* ment linkedto the city by a multi-laned expressway, ór a vast ranch or farm with rolling hills and what seemsto be endless open space. Wherever you may Iive, everything that surföunds you adds up to a totál experience. The quality of this experience depends fargely upon how aware you a re of 'Isost things that gíve form to your environment. You may nőt fully sense this. Many people don't. Unfortunately, much is missed or passed by because people took bút doni reaílysee. As a simple test of how aware you are of your environment, try describing your house or neighborhood. Make a üst of all of those things fhat you are sure are there. Be as thorough as possible. Then go on a "seeing" walk ín order to discover what you did nőt include on your fist; specíftc buildings, fences, curbs, sidewalks, streetlights, signs, trees, plants, or fhe sky that forms a. IIng'overyour environment. Tske a felt pen and sketch pad with you and draw somé of those things that youomitted írom your oríginal fist. Why is it impoftant that you become knowledgeable of things afound you: smaif objects, large structures, changing spáces, varyi ng colom and textures, a crack in the sidewalk, or a discarded automobilé rusting in a junkyard? How will your growing abiIity to se# and undefstand even the finist details of your environment assistyou in your comprehension and appreciatíon of design? The answers to these questions will become more apparent to you as you read through this book and become involved in somé of the art probléma tuggested in each