  |
|
|
|
M.C.Escher Artist and IllusionistThe Optical Illusions of Dutch Artist and Illustrator MC EscherThe optical illusions of MC Escher were inspired in part by a visit to a Spanish palace in Granada.
"At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important" —MC Escher MC Escher (Maurits Cornelis), Dutch, 1898-1972, is a master of graphic arts and the optical illusion. His work also displays a kind of hyper-realism, where all parts of the picture are in tight focus, from close up to far away. Perhaps one of Escher’s most beloved works is this self-portrait from 1935. Entitled, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, this lithograph contains a lot of information about Escher. A hyper-rendered hand holds a mirror-like ball that reflects the artist holding the ball, Escher. We also get a glimpse into Escher’s personal space. The ball reflects a room filled with books, furniture, and accessories that all swirl into the circular and spherical world of the master of illusion. There is nothing supernatural about this drawing and yet the photorealism of the execution of this artwork gives it a kind of hyper-real believability. Escher developed a unique series of drawings after visiting Alhambra, the 14th-century fortress and palace in Granada, Spain. Taking a virtual tour of this architectural gem is a huge insight into the famous drawings and prints that depict architectural believable but impossible spaces. There are archways that seem to lead up, yet lead back to where they started. There are beautiful reflecting pools that create the natural illusion of a mirror. It was the inspiration of Alhambra that started a series of artworks that Escher called the Regular Division of the Plane. In these masterful works, Escher creates memorable and stunning works of optical illusion. In this work entitled, Waterfall, try to follow the path of the water in the architecture of the building. The water falls down and then follows a man-made channel up, only to fall again, in a never-ending cycle of visual impossibility. Again, in a piece entitled Stairs, Escher re-creates a series of stairways that clearly have architectural elements from Alhambra. He has also adds strange caterpillar-like, segmented creatures who traverse the steps that reflect each other and create an impossible space that goes nowhere. Is this an army of caterpillars, or just one who cannot free itself from the moebius-strip road it travels? We could also compare the work of Escher to the Surrealists in that he creates believable and representational drawings of impossible spaces and situations. While certain schools of art history may not teach Escher as a great artist, his popularity gives him enormous educational leverage to teach topics such as photo-realism, hyper realism, lithography, illustration, and surrealism. Read an excellent biography of Escher here. Is MC Escher an artist or artisan? Read on. Here is an excellent review of a visit to Alhambra.
The copyright of the article M.C.Escher Artist and Illusionist in Art & Society is owned by Mary Rayme. Permission to republish M.C.Escher Artist and Illusionist in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
