Escher

M.C. Escher

We have all seen the works of M.C. Escher. Whether it be in a classroom or a book, you have to appreciate the ability for Escher to play with the figure/ground to create shapes and images. The seemingly unstable image should been seen as a bistable image, that can reflect both a set of black birds and a set of white birds.

Escher has an ability for creating illusions of space. Are the birds black or are they white? A seemingly novel trick, this ability is useful for many graphic artist and designers today. Understanding the properties of Gestalt, is like learning to use your hands to draw.

Even if you did not understand the properties of Gestalt, you probably know them without even knowing it. We use them everyday as designers and artists.


Image courtesy of http://www.clas.ufl.edu/ipsa/journal/2000_tsur03.shtml