Optical Illusions Tricks - Essay Example

Optical Illusions “Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one” -Albert Einstein Our mind is a vast container, comprising as many thoughts, perceptions as well as delusions, as one could possibly imagine. Illusions play a very tricky game with our minds. They make us believe that a certain imagine really does exist as it appears to be. These illusions vary from fun or impractical elements to mathematical notions and fine arts. They seemed to have played an amusing factor for readers, ranging from age 5 and above. An optical illusion is a type of phenomenon, in which one perceives a certain image different then it is in reality. It leaves the spectator astounded and in a state of disbelieve as to how can it be possible, because our mind is used to viewing realistic things. We are surrounded by routine visual aspects of nature, but when our mind comes across something unusual or bizarre, which we have never seen before and can only see it in our wildest imagination, we are stunned. Next it leaves us perceiving the meaning and logic behind that illusion. These illusions have been used as a part of creative art since decades, and they continue to play deception with our minds even today. These delusions have grown more advanced and interesting with the passage of time. Talented artists are using their skills in street arts as well as 3D sketching. Optical illusions are basically a part of neuroscience as well as psychology, to study how our mind perceives different images. Abstract art is also a type of optical illusion, which gives different messages to different people, depending upon the way they see or observe it. Some of these illusions have a hidden meaning embedded; it is for the observer to look for it. It is a piece of futile art for many, they consider it as a waste and do not tend to dig down deeper to find the hidden logic beneath. Some optical illusions images are very captivating, giving a fresh, serene visual atmosphere; some are quite mysterious, which are hard to decipher, whereas some are daunting images which might leave a thrilling effect on the observer. Artists which sketch such designs have a wide array of wild imagination, which helps them to keep coming up with new ideas and surprise the observers and onlookers. Optical Illusions are in various forms, as discussed earlier (Westerhoff, 2010). The pictures below are the work of Aakash Nihalani, who is an amazing talented Artist. He creates such illusions by using simple slivers of colored covered tapes. He is an excellent artist, who surely knows how to captivate the viewer’s attention, by creating such remarkable drawings, by using colors as well as shapes. These geometrical figures are mostly three dimensional, which seem so realistic. The duct tapes he used are high light coloured, more-like glowing, even in the day-light, which truly amuses the onlookers. As a matter of fact, he does have a strong grip over his imagination, and he knows what he’s doing. He is a New Yorker and according to him, he wants to put forward a chance for people to enter a different New York, which is different then the one they are used to seeing. By using his creativity, he reveals such patterns, leaving the viewers in great disbelief, that they can’t help but notice these peculiar figures, especially kids, who are more fantasized by such great ingenuity. (Creations by Aakash Nihalani) Kids come up with limited ideas, like, sketching still life, or a house by the ocean, rainy days, sunny days, a forest and painting mountains and a lake. Most of these paintings are sketched from their own imagination, which would occur instantly. These imaginations are mostly from real life, which kids seem to capture the minute their mind comes across such images, for instance, rainy days, or beautiful sceneries, or a playground. These are all realistic images, and it wouldn’t surprise a viewer unless they are played upon in a fiddly manner. An optical illusion is exactly the opposite of realistic images or sketches. An artist uses his own intentional illusions/images to create an unrealistic representation, which is entrancing (Herny, Rideout and wadell, 2008). As a design artist, they combine different fake images, and construct it in such a way that it appears to be real but it actually is not. We all know that 3D sketching is not possible on a single piece of paper, but who says it’s impossible. There are genius artists who seemed to have used their minds eye and produced images which drew as many viewers and readers as possible. By using the help of shadows, some passage way of light and their standpoint, they create 3D images (Benjamin et al., 2008). A Japanese artist Nagai Hideyuki, has been creating such sketches, on his sketch books. This leaves us wondering how an artist could create 3D images on a sketch book, which only consists of flat pages. Yet, the work of art can only be understood by a true artist. Hideyuki only needs a pencil and the right angle for capturing the photo, for the viewers to see it perfectly. (Sketches by Nagai Hideyuki) There are numerous types of optical illusions, each one of them has a different meaning, which the artist is trying to imply, and it is up to the observer to perceive it right. Not all illusions have hidden meanings; some of them are just for the sake of fun and for enlightening the observer. It is a mode of entertainment amongst other techniques, to engross people’s attention and free their minds from any routinely crisis or work stress. The major purpose of such sketches or creations is mental relief from any strain, as stress seems to have taken a greater stance in one’s lives due to busy and hectic schedule. One needs to free himself up from such tension from building up. Hence optical illusion plays a great role in opening up the mind by freshening it. There are figures which take us in a temporary trance, making us disregard the worldly activities for a while (Seckel, 2004). An example of such dimensions and illusions is given below: We all might perceive these circles as if they are moving, whereas they are not. It is how our mind perceives such images, in a way, that ploy with our brain to believe they are what they appear to be, rather then what they actually are. These circles might take us in a state of trance for just a while, but they have no meaning or depth within their displays. To conclude, most graphic artists use their imagination to amuse and attract viewers, whereas most of them create images, also knows as abstract art or 3D images, which have a hidden meaning. Some images are too obvious for the observer to perceive, whereas most of them are hard interpret in just one glimpse. They may even produce knowledgeable information, once they are analyzed. Another type of illusion, known as the physiological illusions, is assumed to be the impact on the brain or eyes, of extreme stimulation. This type of stimulation is considered to be of a specific type, which includes tilt, brightness, movement as well as color. The theory basically suggests that physiological discrepancies, which vary perceptions, occur because the stimuli have single dedicated neural paths, in the premature stages of image processing, and continuously reoccurring stimulation of only a single or more channels causes these imbalances. References Westerhoff, Jan. Twelve Examples of Illusion. New York: Oxford university press, 2010. Print. Herny, Ed, Shelley Rideout, and Katie Wadell. Berkeley Bohemia: Artists and Visionaries of the Early 20th Century. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2008. Print. Benjamin, Walter, Michael W. Jennings, Brigid Doherty, Thomas Y. Levin, and E F. N. Jephcott. The Work of Art in the Age of Its Technological Reproducibility, and Other Writings on Media. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2008. Print. Seckel, Al. Masters of Deception: Escher, Dalí & the Artists of Optical Illusion. New York: Sterling Pub. Co, 2004. Print. Read More