Holtzman - On Vision and Art

[David Linwood]

I remember very well the influence Harry Holtzman had on changing my fundamental “visual habits” of perception (GS, summer seminars, Millbrook, 1948, and Great Barrington, 1949). He would draw a simple “straight line” with charcoal on a blank white piece of artist’s sketching paper, and then asked us to describe what we saw.

Most people wrote “a line”. Then Holtzman would add something to the sketch:

He would then tell us he saw two lines – the edges of the black “area” – and in fact he saw “a black area” – not a line at all. Then he would describe how artists in past times had “influenced” the populace by producing their art with these two different types of “visual perception”.

In Mediaeval and Renaissance times the “linear school” was centered in Florence, Italy, and produced artworks that emphasized “linear outlines” of objects. Example: “The Birth of Venus”, by the Florentine artist, Botticelli.

The “area school” was centered in Venice, Italy, and produced artworks that emphasized “area” painting. Example: “Danaё” by the Venetian artist Titian.

Holtzman’s approach was so direct and so simple, I believe an imitation of his lecture might have good effects for kindergarten children. Not so?

Your commentary is appreciated.

David