Gestalt Theories

     Gestalt theory states that the mind and brain function together, to unify that which may not be there. We look at the whole and the overall perception of that whole is different from the sum of its parts. Together our senses work to recognize whole forms and figures instead of just simple lines or parts, we may even add information where there is no actual information just to “complete the picture.” One of the major gestalt principles is that of emergence. Demonstrated in the picture above 

(from http://christianhubert.com/writings/Gestalt1.jpeg) shows a Dalmatian dog sniffing at the ground.  Instead of recognizing different parts of the dog (such as the tail or ears or paws), we immediately recognize the dog as a whole. From the formation of the way marks are made on the paper, in conjunction with the negative (empty space) and positive (filled space) spaces we infer the boundaries (that don’t really exist) of the dog. In addition to that, the way the marks are placed or the space between them, it makes it easier to unify them; as viewers we tend to group objects that are close to each other into a larger unit. And in turn, the dog pops out of the background in which it is set. Thus we see the gestalt theory in action!

 

Try this Gestalt Image: Do you see a woman or a saxophone player?

[Image from: http://www.skagitwatershed.org/~donclark/hrd/history/gestalt.html]