M.C. Escher’s two-dimensional renderings of impossible feats of architecture are endlessly fascinating to look at, precisely because they could not exist as three-dimensional objects. Or could they? Gershon Elber, a computer science professor at the Israel Institute of Technology, has manipulated Escher’s optical illusions so that they can be fabricated with a 3D printer.
So just how does Elber create 3D versions of creations like Escher’s Belvedere and Waterfall? Well, he cheats. Just as the objects appear plausible in 2D, so too can 3D objects replicate the illusion if viewed from a certain angle. Using computer-aided design software, Elber manipulated illusions designed by Escher and others so that they could be fabricated as a physical object, while maintaining the illusion from that one angle. He then used a 3D printer to fabricate the resulting objects. Seeing the illusions in 3D is a strange experience. At first glance, these do look like solutions to the problems posed by the illusions, but then when the objects are rotated, we see all the wonky components used in their creation. Elber has more of these 3D illusions at his site, Escher Made Real. Via M.C. Escher’s Impossible Structures, Printed in 3D.
M.C Escher – The genius
Hi is more cerebral, as more of an intellectual than an artist. Esher is genius of thinking relaity and express it by graphic drawings. His art reflects many ideas of philosophy, scinece and mathematics through geometry, symmetry, and patterns. Escher has fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more. Escher was the creator of some of the most intellectually stimulating drawings of all time. Many of them have their origin in pradox, illusion or double-meaning. Escher’s drawings is understandable because they often are based on mathematical principles of polarity, complementray and symmetry. God example is Drawing Hands in which each of two hands draws the other. Of course the most fascinantig drowing is Print Gallery a picture of a pictures which contains itself. Or is it a picture of a gallery which contains itself? Or of a town which contains itself? Or a young man who contains himself’? Or where creator of the picture and viewer faunding each other in the “white spots” in the picture. It’s a fantastic anticipation of what happens in the future. Object and subject become te same.
We couldn’t agree with you more Geza. We had forgotten about Escher’s excellent lithograph ‘Print Gallery’ so we have now added a copy of it to our special Escher page http://deskarati.com/escher/
Thanks – Deskarati