Coherent Union of Parts

On the other hand, we are surrounded by natural objects whose composite structures are anything but symmetrical and logical, and which possess a disproportionate and erratic grouping of parts that is the antithesis of classical balance and systematic juxtaposition. The thistle . . . . its very irregularity, erratic movements, and proportions give it a restless and vital plasticity, a physical unpredictability which renders it exciting and mysterious. To use another descriptive label, we might call it "romantically" --as opposed to classically--pleasing.

Note that an artist's interest in one of these two basic types of composite structure found in nature does not preclude an attraction to the other. Both regular and irregular organic structures appeal in their own right. However, a seeming paradox does exist: Creative minds often show a built-in tendency to "tidy up" nature--to simplify and reduce organic vitality in all natural objects so that they conform to the intellectual theories of mathematics and geometry. It is as if this endows them with a purity and consistency which nature itself lacks. Such an idea--or ideal--seems to be part of a general artistic impulse. For example, South American Indians strive for geometrical precision in painting designs on their ritual drums, apparently in the belief that the purer the design, the stronger the magic. Consequently I think we must accept the fact that art frequently tries to organize nature. Writing about art in Classical Greece, Aristotle remarked that, "the purpose of art is to realize nature's unrealized ends." Such a statement expresses the essence of Greek aestheticism.

We can, then, expect a wide range of artistic response to the stimulus provided by nature's variety of composite shapes. And the problems of designing--of organizing the layout of the several parts which make up the total work of art--reflect the diversity of the several parts which make up the total work of art--reflect the diversity of choice . . . . Following nature, the artist might favor:

Symmetrical and regular type of structural organization

Irregular, unsystematized, yet more vigorous and dramatic physique

The sort of composite personality the artist envisions depends upon the homogeneous or heterogeneous nature of the parts, on whether they lend themselves to a regular or freer type of grouping, and on personal preferences and taste at the time.