MC Escher's Mind

It was the twentieth century artist MC Escher who once said “Are you sure that floor can’t be a ceiling?” This quote brilliantly illustrates how Escher would tackle the impossible and challenge the absurd. His art was very mathematical and illusionist that required a mind capable of very abstract thinking. His work is appealing to the eye because it presents a dream like state in some place other than reality. In the article “The Sly Hand of MC Escher”, published in Art New England, the author makes the claim that MC Escher’s work “deserves a respect not always applied to other masters of art”. In this post I will explain how the author makes this claim and expound on how I agree with his points.

The author first turns to a piece called “Impossible Reality” drawn by Escher. This depicts a castle in which men are at the top talking through a stair case that is an optical illusion. It is sometimes referred to as a never ending stair case as the top of the stairs are connected to the bottom and if you follow them around they keep going on forever in a circle. At first the viewer does not realize this illusion but upon further examination it is obvious. I think that this piece is a prime example of Escher’s ability to trick the mind and make the viewer feel at home in an impossible state. The title itself is an oxymoron and is an example of the cleverness of Escher’s mind.

The author then says how Escher’s work has been inspiration for many pop culture works of art today. Many graphic artists re make Escher’s ideas and his work has even inspired movies such as “The Invisible Man”. The scene where his head is unraveling like a ribbon is a direct emulation of Escher’s “Rind” which depicts his wife’s face unraveling like a ribbon. His work is also the decoration for many products in today’s market.

The author describes how Escher mastered the “concepts of tessellation
(the division of a plane into equal parts) and "metamorphosis," his optical merging of birds, fish, reptiles, insects, and human figures into mind-bending scenes that defied logic yet ascending and Descending, lithograph, were nonetheless perfectly logical.” This drawing depicts white lizards slowly transforming into black lizards. It is great. I think that is surely a great example of Escher’s genius in his mathematical and pioneer form of art.

MC Escher said “I walk around in mysteries, so I draw them to figure them out.” I think this perfectly illustrates his passion for drawing situations that were impossible and making them seem realistic. I think that the author is correct in saying that he deserves a certain respect different than other artists because he is one of a kind and a pioneer in his illusionist art work. His art work will continue to be some of my favorite, not because it’s controversial, but because I think his art contains the essence of what art is: The process of figuring out and expressing your mind and the world around you.

Works Cited
Starger, S. "The Sly Hand of MC Escher." Art New England 31.6 (2010): 10. Web. 28 Nov 2011.