This paper traces some of the early 20th century roots of aesthetic formalism as they came to effect the development of art education theory and practice in this country up to the beginning of the Second World War. The paper focuses on American sources and on the writings and ideas of Benman Ross, Arthur Wesley Dow, J. Hambidge, Albert C. Barnes,…

This study reviewed possibilities for looking at aesthetic perception in art using the D. E. Berlyne approach, identifying alternative methods, and reporting the results of a factor analytic study of preferences of young college adults for abstract art. The Berlyne approach used stimulus objects of simple to complex abstract components of the more…