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Christopher Landauer
Science of Art
March 9, 2000
What is an Illusion?
illusion (-lzhn) noun
1. a. An erroneous perception of reality.
b. An erroneous concept or belief.
2. The condition of being deceived by a false perception or belief.
3. Something, such as a fantastic plan or desire, that causes an
erroneous belief or perception.
4. Illusionism in art.
History of Illusions
Prehistory:
Afterimage caused by
glancing at the sun
A stick half in and half out of
water
History of Illusions
500 B.C.
The eyes and ears are bad witnesses when they are at the service of minds
that do not understand their language
-Parmenides
History of Illusions
c. 450 B.C.
The mind sees and the mind hears. The rest is blind and deaf.
-Epicharmus
Man is nothing but a bundle of sensations
-Protagoras
c. 300 B.C.
We must perceive objects through the senses but with the mind
-Plato
History of Illusions
A. Ideal Parthenon
B. Architrave Illusion
(Jastrow-Lipps)
C. Illusionary Distortion
D. Alterations made to
offset illusion
History of Illusions
History of Illusions
Entasis:
Convexing of column to overcome
parallel lines appearing concave
Irradiation Illusion:
Bright objects appear larger
History of Illusions
Conclusion:
More of an Art than a Science
Early Preparadaigmatic Science
-Trial and error
-Aesthetic, not scientific
-No factual understanding
-No treatsies
-No schools of thought
History of Illusions
1596 - 1650
Descartes:
There is both a registration stage and an interpretation stage
in the perceptual process. Perceptual error or illusion may intrude at
either of these two steps along the road to consciousness.
1700 - 1800
History of Illusions
1800 - 1870
Experimental Foundations
Current State of
Illisions
Conclusion:
Paradigmatic Science (Psychology)
1900s
Normal Sciences => Anomoly => Crisis => Revolution
Current status: Normal Science
- mopping up
- puzzle solving
- guidelines for research
Ambiguous Figures
Face or Vase?
Ambiguous Figures
RetroActive
Nels Isralson
L'Amour de Pierrot
c.1905
Ambiguous Figures
Bust of Voltaire
- Houdon, 1781
Ambiguous Figures
Ambiguous Figures
Multiple Figures
2
2
2
Ambiguous Figures
Mask Concavity
Ambiguous Figures
Machs Figure
Ambiguous Figures
Schroders Staircase
Ambiguous Figures
Oscillating Cubes
Ambiguous Figures
Necker Cube
Ambiguous Figures
Ambiguous Figures
Ambiguous Figures
Ambiguous Figures
Possible views:
Cube with corner missing
Box in corner of room
Small cube infront of large
cube
3 in 1 Illusion
Ambiguous Figures
Cube / Room
Possible views:
3D Cube
Corner of Room