Entropy and Art: An Essay on Disorder and OrderThis essay is an attempt to reconcile the disturbing contradiction between the striving for order in nature and in man and the principle of entropy implicit in the second law of thermodynamics - between the tendency toward greater organization and the general trend of the material universe toward death and disorder. |
Contents
Information and order | 15 |
The virtue of constraints | 29 |
Homeostasis is not enough | 47 |
Bibliography | 57 |
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Common terms and phrases
action aesthetic anabolic tendency animal Arnheim articulate artist aspirin attained balance beauty behavior blurred body called catabolic chance child complexity condition constraints cosmic tendencies create degradation derived described destruction differentiation disorderly dissolution distinguish dynamic elementary elements energy entropy principle Entropy theory equilibrium evolution example existence fact Fechner Figure formulated Freud function gestalt homeostasis homogeneity human ical increase of entropy information theory inorganic interaction Jean Arp John Cage Köhler Law of Thermodynamics level of order macrostates maximum of entropy means measure mechanical mind minimum molecules nature notion observed overall painting patterns of forces perceptual organization physical systems physicists piece of music Planck Plate pleasure Pleasure Principle predict probability processes psychology psychophysical random distribution redundancy refer regular relation Rudolf Second Law shapes and colors shuffling spatial Spencer statistical straight line striving for order struc structural theme symmetry tension reduction theorist things tion visual visual perception