A Universal Grammar for Visual Composition?

The author has identiÞed four fundamental organizational principles common to both organic form and the creation of visual composition. The author proposes that our perceptual system has evolved to respond to these principles (perceptual primitives) due to the necessity of recognizing the diversity of organic forms on which our survival depended during our earlier evolution. The evidence shows that these four principles occur widely throughout humankindÕs aesthetic expression in different cultures, epochs, art forms and media. Applying von HumboldtÕs principle, the author proposes that these limited means provide unlimited possibilities for developing student creativity if it were taught as a coherent grammar.