Gestalt theory originated in Austria and Germany toward the end of the 19th century. This theory focuses on how the mind perceives a certain object. Gestalt does not have a clear translation in in English, but it basically means how certain shapes/objects are juxtaposed. For example, when looking at a gestalt image you may see one thing, and the second time you look you may see something completely different. This image is a perfect example of gestalt. The first time I looked at this image I saw two faces, and the second time I saw a chalice. This image plays with both positive and negative space. The was the two faces are juxtaposed against a white background creates another image. This goes back on how the mind perceives information. What do we look at first? Do we see a chalice, a face, or two black objects on the side of the paper? After looking at the piece for a few moments we can pick out what certain objects represent.
This piece of art also shows the six principles of gestalt. For example, it shows containment because the faces "contain" the chalice. It also shows proximity because the distance between the faces creates unity. I feel that this is a very good example of gestalt.
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