1. The Application of Gestalt Theory on Art and Photography
Chun-Hui Chiu

2. The Gestalt
Gestalt, a psychological term from German, means to make unified entire as “whole” or “form”
Austrian philosopher Christian von Ehrenfels ( ) depict extra elements of perceiving of human brain
Max Wertheim, Wolfgang Kohler and Kurt Koffka found the law of gestalt was that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Laws of Organization in Perception Form (1923) by Max Wertheimer.
Keyword: Structuralism, Memory, Tendency

3. The Principle of Gestalt Theory on Images
The notion of the whole is different from the sum of its parts
similarity, symmetry, and figure-ground
Fig. 1 Kanizsa’s fictional triangle

4. Fig. 2 L’ Urne Mysterieuse, 1774 by Pierre Crussaire.
1. Law of Figure/Ground
Figure and Ground?
Distance
Be seen in order
Size
Shape
Artists and designers consider:
Tendency of grouping
Effectively contrast
Fig. 2 L’ Urne Mysterieuse, 1774 by Pierre Crussaire.
Common boundary

5. The same contour of figure and ground
Two-dimensional vs. Three-dimensional
Depth
Fig. 3 Push
by Pete Turner.

6. Fig. 4 Jungbauern Westerwald, 1914 by August Sander
2. Law of Proximity and Similarity
repeated characteristics, group
Proximity
closer together, up and down, side by side, and front to back
Similarity
resemblance , size, colour, shape and so on
Dissimilarity
be used as focus among similarities.
Fig. 4 Jungbauern Westerwald, 1914 by August Sander

7. Fig. 5 Nude 1936, by Edward Weston.
3. Law of Continuation
smooth, continuous lines without directional changes
attention for perception by means of direction
various paths
Motion pictures in space and time
Fig. 5 Nude 1936, by Edward Weston.

8. Fig. 6 The Creation of Adam, by Michelangelo.
4. Law of Closure
the mind perceptually fills in the missing information or closes up incomplete objects to make a whole.
quality of tension
how artists consider to remove the unessential parts and to strengthen the degree of tension in their works

9. Fig. 7 Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932 by Henri Cartier-Bresson
Gestalt principle
Closure
similarity and symmetry
figure and ground
Fig. 7 Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932 by Henri Cartier-Bresson

10. Conclusion useful strategies in art and design composition of art
Gestalt
Advantage:
useful strategies in art and design
composition of art
Deficiency:
ignores the relation of cultural subject for individual viewpoint lead to shortage of humanities constructed the substantial centre of art.
Solution:
combination of artistic thought and perception to extend the concept of gestalt.