“Shaped
Canvas” kite series (1970)
A fan of mine once asked me how I was able to
create the illusion of motion on my canvases, and if I could explain to him why
he see what he sees. Unfortunately, I cannot give a sound explanation as to how
and why my work produces such illusions.
I can however, offer you some plausible theories as to why your eyes
have been tricked into perceiving motion.
Note: these theories are not necessarily true. Most
optical illusions are still not properly and scientifically understood by
researchers, let alone artists!
The
Ouchi illusion:
The Ouchi Illusion is not well
understood. The illusionary motion and perceived depth may arise from the
ambiguity formed at the circular contour with the adjoining vertical edges. In
one interpretation the vertical bars can be perceived as being on the same depth
plane as the horizontal bars -- a strictly two-dimensional image. Your visual system
can also interpret this image as three-dimensional, where the vertical bars lie
on a different depth plane than the horizontal bars. The circular contour
therefore acts as an aperture. If the two differently orientated bars are
perceived as being on different depth planes, then eye movements can cause
induced motion.
The
peripheral drift illusion:
The peripheral drift illusion refers to an
anomalous motion illusion that can be observed in peripheral vision. First
described by Faubert and Herbert (1999), the peripheral drift illusion was a result
of temporal differences in luminance (i.e., the
intensity of light emitted from a surface) processing producing a signal that tricks the motion system.
The direction of illusory motion was also thought to appear in the
direction from dark to light.
