Karl Gerstner: The Forms of Color

Vintage hardback coffee table book on color theory and geometric perception. By Karl Gerstner, published by The MIT Press in 1986. English translation from the original German edition, 263 pages.

“In The Forms of Color, Swiss artist and designer Karl Gerstner expands his exploration of the dynamic interplay between color and form, building upon his earlier work, The Spirit of Colors. With scientific precision and aesthetic insight, Gerstner draws on artistic, literary, and mathematical sources—from Euclid’s geometry to Kandinsky’s chromatic theories and Islamic pattern systems—to create a comprehensive design philosophy. His system-based methodology seeks not singular answers, but a framework for many: a conceptual lens through which the emotional and structural relationships of color and shape are deeply understood. This richly illustrated volume offers a visual and intellectual journey through the fundamentals of design, perception, and harmony.”