Masters of Deception: Escher, Dali & the Artists of Optical Illusion (Hardcover)

by Al Seckel (Author), Douglas R. Hofstadter (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[G]reat full page pictures, and just plain fun to browse.” —Library Journal
“Children will find pleasure in [this] book, alongside their parents.” —Wall Street Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Astonishing creations by masters of the art, such as Escher, Dali, and Archimbolo; amazing visual trickery; and an illuminating foreword by the Pulitzer Prize--winning author Douglas R. Hofstadter make this 320-page, breathtaking collection the definitive book of optical illusions.

Rings of seahorses that seem to rotate on the page. Butterflies that transform right before your eyes into two warriors with their horses. A mosaic portrait of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau made from seashells. These dazzling and often playful artistic creations manipulate perspective so cleverly that they simply outwit our brains: we can’t just take a quick glance and turn away. They compel us to look once, twice, and over and over again, as we try to figure out exactly how the delightful trickery manages to fool our perceptions so completely. Of course, first and foremost, every piece is beautiful on the surface, but each one offers us so much more. Some, including Sandro del Prete’s charming “Window Gazing,” construct illusionary worlds where normal conceptions of up, down, forward, and back simply have no meaning anymore. Others, such as Jos De Mey’s sly “Ceci n’est pas un Magritte,” create visual puns on earlier work. From Escher’s famous and elaborate “Waterfall” to Shigeo Fukuda’s “Mary Poppins,” where a heap of bottles, glasses, shakers, and openers somehow turn into the image of a Belle Epoque woman when the spotlight hits them, these works of genius will provide endless enjoyment and food for thought.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402705778
• ISBN-13: 978-1402705779
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #181,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...but I know what I like., January 7, 2005

By	John Simpson "john_the_gnerphk" (Old Town, ME United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Here it is - the coffee-table book of eye-twisters!

Don't misunderstand, here - it's not the complete works of Escher, with all the best Dali and a couple of others thrown in. This volume contains only a very few examples of the most powerful works of a handful of major mindtwisting visual artists.

No, it's not just a gallery. Instead, what we have are explanations - the "why?" of Escher, the "what?" of Dali, and the "how the -?" of modern shadow-sculptures. (The sailing-ship of scissors on the back must be seen.) The origins and evolution of the school of illusion are described in detail, but in such a way that the reading is far from dry.

Buy it. You won't regret it.

45 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book but incomplete, December 12, 2004

By	Barry Milliken (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The other reviewers are on the mark but there are 2 regrettable omissions:
1. The Art of Bev Doolittle.(???) In my opinion her work easily outshines several of the artists in the all male lineup chosen for the book. What was he thinking?
2. A CD containing moving pictures. After the book was published the author created this web site:
http://neuro.caltech.edu/~seckel/mod/
Where he explains:
"There are a number of incredible artistic works featured in Masters of Deception, which require movement to appreciate their full impact. Additionally, I had in my possession various interviews with some of the book's featured artists that I wanted to share with my readership. Unfortunately, the publisher was unwilling to produce a CD to accompany the book. I have created this web site, therefore, to augment and enhance the reader's experience by presenting those works and interviews that I could not present in book form."
Don't miss this web site.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just another art book, August 28, 2005

By	Vince D. (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This is a beautiful and amazing book. Twenty artists are represented. They are not only superb artists but also Leonardo da Vincis in their cleverness. A piece of complete junk, when looked at from another angle, turns out to be a miniature grand piano. You will spend hours on not only the art but on the brilliantly clever images.And the book directs you to web sites for further exploration. The most enchanting art book I have ever seen--and at the price, it is a steal. BUY IT!!!