Italy: The New Domestic Landscape: Achievements and Problems of Italian Design ed. by Emilio Ambasz (review)

whereas problem-solving is thought to be the objective of a spontaneous strategy. Statistical analysis shows that seldom does an artist exhibit all the characteristics of one strategy and that various mixes of the two types can occur. Although the strategies are exhibited by most students, they are most clearly seen in advanced students who can manipulate them as they wish. Strategies are shown to be dependent upon various conditions applied to the drawing process. The controllable factors included the type of drawing stimulus (e.g. still-life or mental images) and the nature of the photographic process feedback and the teacher-pupil interaction. The latter part of the book describes some of the ‘indepth’ case studies made by the author. Subjects took part in regular drawing sessions over several weeks and timelapse photographs were evaluated by the subject prior t o each session. The finished drawings and the transcript of the interview held at the conclusion of each study show that chance events often have considerable influence upon the learning process. The case studies also show that artistic idiosyncrasies are suppressed by various aspects of the environment and particularly by the well intentioned advice of viewers. Unfortunately, the ages of the subjects are not given and this omission will limit the comprehension of those readers who are not familiar with the American terms college, junior and senior. Beittel admits that his research is pre-scientific in that the experimental methods are somewhat unsystematic and the conclusions of the studies are in the form of an ‘image’ rather than a theory or a model. However, the implications he draws from his work will provide useful ideas for other art educators and will be of interest to research workers involved in the fields of aesthetics and the psychology of art. The book is intended for an academic audience; artists and art teachers who do not work within such an environment will find the book of little value.