Optical illusions and visual phenomena are everywhere—we are surrounded by them. Some, such as mirages, rainbows, and rock formations, occur naturally, compliments of Mother Nature. Others are created by artists and scientists, either unintentionally or deliberately. Regardless of their origin, illusions have the ability to amuse, confuse, or fool the viewer. Illusions are also a good reminder that we do not see the world as it really exists, but rather as how we perceive it with our own eyes and biases.
The first optical illusion that I have a memory of is L’egs-istential Quandary, created by American psychologist Roger N. Shepard. This drawing is commonly known as the “Impossible elephant” or the “Anomalous elephant” for good reason. At first glance, it appears to be a simple black and white drawing of an elephant. Closer examination reveals that the feet at the bottom of the drawing do not match up with the animal’s legs, creating an impossible situation that could certainly not exist in nature. Your mind tries to (and certainly wants to) make the feet line up, but it is no use. What makes this a classic optical illusion is that it can be thoroughly enjoyed by people of all ages. I was perplexed by this drawing as a child, and continue to marvel at it as an adult. As much as I’ve tried over the years, I still cannot get the feet to line up properly with the rest of the body. I suspect (and hope) that I never will.
This book contains optical illusions from a variety of different artists, researchers, and photographers. These images have been categorized into chapters based on illusion type. Many of the images in this book contain elements of two (or more) of these categories. A good example is Jerry Andrus’ Impossible Crate (page 109), which is included in the Perspective Illusions chapter because the effect can only be seen from one particular vantage point. The construction of the crate itself also presents a seemingly “impossible” object, so this image would fit equally well in the Impossible Illusions chapter. It should be no surprise that the categorization of such deceptive material would prove to be ambiguous and subjective. Regardless of their assigned category, the optical illusions presented in this book will hopefully perplex you and bring a smile to your face simultaneously.
Copyright © 2013 by Brad Honeycutt (Author). All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
