M. C. Escher

Links to Images:

http://designingquests.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/escher-relativity.jpg

http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sphere.jpg

When beginning to think about talented printmakers, lithographic artists to be more specific, M. C. Escher tends to come to mind. He was a Dutch artist, born June 17, 1898 as Maurits Cornelius Escher. He was the son of George Arnold Escher, who was an engineer, and his second wife, Sarah. Escher took both carpentry and piano lessons until he was thirteen years old, but it was in high school that his incredible drawing talent was discovered. However, Escher did not do well in his other classes, but went on to attend an architectural school in 1919. He traveled to Italy where he met his wife, Jetta, and they were married in 1924. Due to a great deal of political upheaval and World War II, Escher and his family continually moved, until eventually settling back in the Netherlands, when Escher was originally from.

Through out his life, Escher produced numerous works that remain famous. He is most well-known for his “woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints, which tend to feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, and interlocking geometric patterns which change gradually into completely different forms.” Many people refer to his work as Op Art, however in one quote he stated “I am always wandering around in enigmas. There are young people who constantly come to tell me: you, too, are making Op Art. I haven't the slightest idea what that is, Op Art. I've been doing this work for thirty years now.” Before his death in 1972, Escher produced 448 lithographs, wood cuts, and wood engravings along with many other works. Even today, many graphic artists study Escher’s works from his wood cuts to his tessellations.

Some of Escher’s most well-known lithographs include: Ascending and Descending, Relativity, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, Waterfall, and Reptiles, just to name a few. A great deal of Escher’s work deals with mathematical concepts, such as the polyhedra, the shape and logic of space, and tessellations. Much of the art encompasses optical illusions, giving the viewer a sense of confusion as to whether or not aspects such as staircases are moving up or down. For example in Escher’s work, Ascending and Descending, at first glance the image looks completely normal, but the more the viewer looks at it, the more confusing it may become, being unable to tell which direction the stairs are going and if the people on the stairs are walking up or down them. This lithograph is very well done, with great attention to detail and excellent shading.

Another lithograph that I am fascinated with is Hand with Reflecting Sphere. Escher captures his own image in the sphere that his hand is holding, with realistic representation of the abstraction that is caused to the room behind him because of the shape of the sphere. Escher once again pays great attention to detail in how the sphere changes the shapes of the objects in the room, as well as his own image. This is an amazing work with an outstanding amount of realism, leaving the viewer to believe that it could be a photograph as opposed to a lithograph. Even without looking at many other lithographic artists’ works, I can say that Escher is one of my favorites because of his courage to experiment with different types of images though his Op Art.

Resources:

http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Escher_MC.html

http://www.mcescher.com/

http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/escher/