The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight [Paperback]

Julian Rothenstein (Author), Mel Gooding (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000

Is it a crone or a lovely lady? A dapper man with a ascot or a toothless old geezer? Things are not always what they seem at first glance... or even at second or third. The Playful Eye is a virtual feast of games and visual tricks gathered from around the world. With a full-color puzzle or conundrum to tease the eye and intrigue the mind on every page, this generously sized volume goes far beyond other optical illusions books. There's no straining to see garishly colored 3-D images that rarely materialize like those other books of eye candy. These original, antique illustrations garnered from exquisite European and Asian art and ephemera of centuries past are as delightful to look at as they are to play with. A phantasmagoria of hidden images, multiple figures, upside-downs, rebuses, and good old fashioned illusions, this book brings the mysteries of perception into plain sight. Perfect for the artistically inclined and anyone who enjoys visual diversion off the beaten path, The Playful Eye weaves the comic, charming, ingenious, and sinister together in one bustling compendium of optical tricks and games--bringing far more than just beauty to its beholder.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Julian Rothenstein is a great gatherer and arranger of aged, amusing, bizarre, and beatiful art and artifacts. Proprietor of Redstone Press of London, he has unleashed many wonderfully weird books, calendars, and notecards on the world at large.

Mel Gooding is an art critic, writer, and curator who has contributed extensively to magazines and newspapers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811826961
• ISBN-13: 978-0811826969
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,486,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for classic illusions, October 27, 2000

By 

Al (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight (Paperback)

It is rare when you come across a book on optical illusions that has something new to offer, but this is what sets The Playful Eye apart from many of the other optical illusion books currently on the market.

The Playful Eye is a wonderful collection of classic illusions that were printed on obscure puzzle cards, postcards, trading cards, advertisements, and the like during the late 19th to mid 20th century. The editors have done a remarkable job in collecting these illusions from obscure source material and private collections. What is even more remarkable, and in my mind, one of the best aspects of this charming collection, is the amount of research that they put in labeling the sources for each image. This is a real reference tool for an illusion collector like myself.

The illustrations are wonderful and you are bound to see images that are not seen elsewhere. Lots and lots of fun!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a multi-layered visual treat, April 19, 2000

By 

May Key Lee (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight (Paperback)

I love books that make you view things in ways that are unexpected--this book was a treat for my eyes and my brain. I enjoyed the compilation of vivid illustrations from various cultures and periods. I went through the book once to enjoy all of the wonderfully detailed illustrations, then I went back through the book again to tease my mind with the visual play in each one of those colorful pictures. This book is fun and can be enjoyed over and over again.

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this book, if you love to play with optical illusions, & would like to enjoy further visual diversion off the beaten path!, October 21, 2006

By 

Lee Say Keng "KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURER/TECHNOLOGY... (Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight (Paperback)

The Playful Eye: An Album of Visual Delight
by Julian Rothenstein

If you love to play with optical illusions, & would like to enjoy further visual diversion off the beaten path, please get hold of this wonderful book & add it to your personal library.

The Playful Eye is certainly a virtual feast of ingenious games & visual tricks gathered from around the world.

The author has done an excellent job in putting this wonderful compendium together. Kudos!