THE LANGUAGE OF CITIES

A visual appreciation of cities, with elusive text and photographs. Beginning with an historical view of the location and growth of cities, the author points the reader to the ""joys"" of the visual experience--""sunbeams in a puddle. . . leaves on a brick wall,"" etc. Then follows Art IA in light, space and design with the subject the city. Color and texture, form and movement, are also values which express the language of cities. The author concludes the brief discourse with a statement of the need to tackle the problems of cities with courage and imagination so that new forms may be found to express a ""new and better and more human way of living together."" We have not seen the photographs for this, but the list of credits is promising. The text--a tremulous high aesthetic line--cannot stand alone.