Van Eck (architectural history, Universities of Ghent & Groningen, UK) & Winters (painting & drawing, West Dean College, Sussex, UK) introduce this volume by discussing traditional
ways of considering art, such as defining art as a record of what the artist saw, or later, defining art as merely a depiction of shapes, colors, and patterns. Next presented is the concept of
vision not being a physical function, but rather a social construct (visuality) that can be read in the same way that we read text. The rest of the book consists of 12 articles by van Eck &
Winters and other scholars, investigating different constructs of visuality in both art and architecture. The book includes black & white drawings, photographs, and reproductions of
paintings & engravings. Annotation 穢2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
