Understanding Three Dimensions

Discusses form in terms of elements, attributes, and organization to establish a systematic approach to the complexities of three-dimensional design.

This book is the result of continuing efforts to find a text that adequately deals with the special issues of three-dimensional design. While there are many excellent books that deal with both two- and three-dimensional design, we have been frustrated in our efforts to find one that recognizes the essential differences between them. Two-dimensional design is limited to events that take place within a delimited field on a flat surface. The traditional "elements and principles" enable us to understand and control the events within that field. At the heart of two-dimensional design is the issue of illusion. Three-dimensional work, on the other hand, is characterized by its physicality. Three-dimensional objects exist in real space; they are tactile; they are responsive to variations in light and point of view; they elicit response to material as well as to form. Engineering is an issue of believability as well as of manufacture. The primary goal of this book is to help students develop an understanding and appreciation of the interaction of form in space and ways to manipulate it. There is, however, a hidden agenda as well: This is the students' attitudinal and conceptual development. As most of the graduates of even the most professional schools will not be directly involved in art or art-making a decade after graduation, it is important to help them develop attitudes toward creative activity that will be useful regardless of their future professions. The goals of introductory courses in art and design are varied, but they all have some things in common. Among these is a desire to create a shared vocabulary, both visual and verbal, to facilitate further work. This shared vocabulary serves as the basis for the constructive criticism and exchange of ideas that are important ingredients in the formal study of art. While a vocabulary for the consideration of two-dimensional images is relatively well established and forms the core of most courses in two-dimensional design, this is not the case with three-dimensional design. Too often this lack of clear vocabulary results in curricula that focus exclusively on structures or materials, never establishing a basis for looking at and responding to form on a purely visual level. In the world of diplomacy a protocol is "a preliminary agreement which serves as the basis for further negotiation." Protocol also refers to the rules of etiquette. While there is nothing sacred about manners, observance of the rules of politeness facilitates social interaction, reducing friction and encouraging productive communication. It is our hope that the principles and approaches outlined in this text can serve as a useful protocol for three-dimensional design. Just as a protocol serves as a starting point in diplomatic negotiations, so should this text be viewed as a starting point for the development of a shared approach to looking at form.