Amazing Kinetic Illusions in Op Art
MacKay Rays
This illusion, created in 1957 by neuroscientist Donald M. MacKay, shows that simple patterns of regular or repetitive stimuli, such as radial lines (called "MacKay rays") can induce the perception of shimmering or illusory motion at right angles to those of the pattern. To see the illusion, look at the center of the circle and notice the peripheral shimmering.
http://www.sciam.com/slideshow.cfm?id=art-as-visual-research
BBC Wallboard
MacKay first observed this effect on the wallboard of a BBC studio: the broadcasting staff had been annoyed by illusory shadows running up and down blank strips between columns of parallel lines.
The Enigma Illusion
Op artist Isia Leviant unknowingly combined the MacKay Rays and the BBC wallboard illusion in the now classic Enigma illusion. As you view the Enigma image, notice how the concentric purple rings appear to fill with rapid circular motion, as if millions of tiny and barely visible cars were driving around a track. The illusory motion is driven by microsaccades: small, involuntary eye movements that occur during visual fixation.
Waterway Spirals
Waterway Spirals is a compelling and powerful version of Leviant's Enigma. Notice the strong illusory motion along the blue spiraling stripe.
Festive Lights
The Festive Lights illusion, by visual illusion artist Gianni A. Sarcone, is also based on Leviant's Enigma. Notice the appearance of a flowing motion along the green-yellow stripes.
Enigmatic Eye
Look at the center of the pupil and you will see the surrounding purple rings fill with rapid illusory motion. Neuroscientist and engineer Jorge Otero-Millan's tribute to Leviant features the illusory motion seen in Enigma, and it also reflects the role of eye movements in the perception of the illusion.
Bridget Riley's Motion Illusions
This pattern, by op artist Bridget Riley, gives the impression of fast spiraling motion as observers move their eyes around the image.
Bridget Riley's Motion Illusions II
In a tribute to Riley, vision scientist Nick Wade of the University of Dundee in Scotland created an example that features both streaming and shimmering motion, and it is reminiscent of various famous Riley artworks.
The Ouchi Illusion
This illusion is by op artist Hajime Ouchi. Move your head back and forth as you let your eyes wander around the image and notice how the circle and its background appear to shift independently of one another.
The Ouchi Illusion II
This illusion is a contemporary variation on the Ouchi pattern, by Kitaoka.
More of Kitaoka's Op Art. Hatpin Urchin, by Kitaoka, dramatically demonstrates the importance of eye movements in the perception of this kinetic illusion.
The Rotating Tilted Lines Illusion
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines Illusion, by vision scientists Simone Gori and Kai Hamburger, is a novel variation of the Enigma effect and Bridget Riley's Blaze. To best observe the illusion, move your head closer and then farther away from your computer screen. As you approach the image, notice that the radial lines appear to rotate counterclockwise. As you move away from the image, they appear to rotate clockwise.
The Rotating Tilted Lines Illusion II
Artist Miwa Miwa's variant of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines Illusion pays homage to "Vertigo," the classic film by Alfred Hitchcock.
Combination of the Rotating Tilted Lines and Enigma
Gori and Hamburger's combination of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines and the Enigma illusion is both visually arresting and a powerful demonstration of illusory motion from a static pattern. The Enigma illusion, almost three decades after its creation in 1981 by Leviant, continues to inspire visual science as well the visual arts.
Sources:Scientific American November 18, 2008Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
