The Icelandic Canadian - 01.12.1959, Qupperneq 21

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
19
DESIGN By BR carol i feldsted
FUNDAMENTAL)*
Dr. Carol J. Feldsted
This remarkable work is written for
art instruction in High Schools and
Colleges, hence little known outside
limited academic circles, and like any
other “school book” is of no interest,
if not unknown, to the average reader,
unless he has examined it to discover
that both author and publishers of
Design Fundamentals have produced
a volume which, to say the least, is
unusual, if not unique, as manuals
and textbooks go. That an old and
highly respected publishing house
bought the manuscript and seemingly
spared no expense to bring it out in
a handsome and costly edition, is in
itself evidence of its worth. The ven-
ture coulld hardly have been under-
taken for the sake of expected profits.
But reputable publishers sometimes
accept manuscripts of unusual merit,
at the risk of taking a loss, to satisfy
a traditional prestige and pride in their
literary judgement and craftmanship.
Perhaps that is the most plausible
explanation for a near deluxe edition
of Design Fundamentals.
Almost every day thousands who
never received the most elementary in-
struction in the techniques and theory
of the fine arts, visit art galleries and
exhibitions, some out of mere curios-
ity, others in search of the artist’s mes-
sage left on canvas or in stone. The
many, who leave these treasuries of
the spirit, confused and puzzled, would
do well to read and probe the con-
tents of Dr. Feldsted’s book, before
their next visit. Nor will it fail to im-
press any one, at one time or other
engaged in teaching. The text is skill-
fully organized and illustrated, the
language lucid, the lessons well de-
fined “problems” in progressive, grad-
uated sequence, from demonstrations
by means of straight lines and dots to
analysis of patterns in famous paint-
ings. No less commendable is the
author’s objectivity in dealing with
one of the most controversial subjects
of the age—modern art. Not a word
suggesting bias in favor of any one of
the many “schools”, isms and cults to
be seen wherever widely representative
art is exhibited. This aspect of the book
almost places it in the category of
texts on mathematics and physics; and
the reader will sense, however vaguely,
the alleged relationship between art
and science.