Al Seckel (1958–2015)

When I was a kid, we had a set of books from Childcraft, each volume of which focused on a different topic in the sciences or the humanities in a kid-friendly fashion. I loved those books immensely, but the one on art and art history I found less interesting than most of the others, with one notable exception: the chapter featuring M. C. Escher and Salvador Dali. I remember starting at those pictures for what seemed like hours, then coming back repeatedly and staring at them again. And the show more longer I looked, the more I seemed to see, and the more fascinated I was. Well, my tastes in art might possibly have matured slightly since I was eight, but they really don't seem to have changed that much. Unsurprisingly, then, I really enjoyed this book showcasing the work of Escher, Dali, and eighteen other artists. They vary quite widely in technique, style, and medium, but all of them enjoy playing with human perceptions in various clever ways, so it's full of visual paradoxes and ambiguities. There are illusions, impossible perspectives, images that look different from different angles or at different scales, shapes that morph and change their meaning , and all manner of other trickery, ranging from the purely technical to the indisputably artistic. Some of the illusions employed here were familiar enough to me that I no longer find them terribly interesting, but other images made me laugh or gasp as their hidden secrets suddenly popped out at me, which is rather wonderful. I think I've also discovered an instant new favorite artist in Rob Gonsalves, whose work can be seen gracing the front cover.

As well as lots and lots of pictures, the book also features a few pages of text on each artist, including a brief biography and description of their work, usually along with a few quotes from them. These are generally well done, I think, telling us just enough to enhance the experience of viewing the pictures, but not enough that it becomes tedious. Unfortunately, there seems to have been some kind of formatting or editing issue, at least with the copy I have, and a few pages scattered through the book are missing a line of text at the bottom, which is an annoying blemish on an otherwise extremely well-produced book. show less

We lost our original copy of this to a fire in 2013 and I have had it on my short list for the past eight years of those (of the 5,800 we lost) that I wanted to replace. When I was looking for a different book some months back, I saw this and checked it off that list. Wonderful collection of artists and selected works of some of the best illusory imaginings out there. I savored this reading, stretching it out over two months because... well it's pretty cool.

I borrowed this book from my library on a Saturday, read the foreword, introduction and first chapter, stopped and returned it monday morning. Because on Sunday I tracked this book down and bought it. Every chapter focuses on a different artist who uses some sort of illusion in their work, not just painters but sculpters as well. Every artist is distinct, but all are equally brilliant. Even the foreword is interesting. But don't take my word for it, find it and read it yourself (or just look show more at the pictures). Go! show less

an incredibly engaging book that really makes you think... about how you think