Op art

Umbrella Illusion

Gianni Sarcone

One of my illusions from the late ’90s. Take a look at the colorful umbrellas in Figures A and B of the table below—are they the same or different? About 80% of people will say that Umbrella A has jagged, zigzag edges, while Umbrella B has a smooth, wavy outline. But here’s the trick—you’ve been fooled by the brightness contrast of the rays inside the umbrellas. In reality, both umbrellas are identical in shape, perfectly congruent.

This illusion works even when only the lines of the shapes are emphasized. As demonstrated in the table below, the outline of Umbrella A appears jagged and zigzagged, while Umbrella B seems to have, once again, a smooth, wavy outline.

This illusion shows a phenomenon called curvature blindness, which was rediscovered in 2017 by Japanese psychologist Kohske Takahashi. He created a powerful variant and studied its impact on how we perceive shapes.

© Kohske Takahashi – The wavy lines appear different depending on the background and how the repetitive dark color is applied to them.

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The Architecture of Light

Gianni Sarcone

Colors, though fundamentally phenomena of light, are not merely superficial aspects of perception. They play a structural role in organizing visual elements. For example, applying contrasting colors to a series of repetitive graphic patterns—while varying their distribution—can dramatically alter how they are perceived. This demonstrates how color is not just an embellishment but an active force in shaping visual reality.


As Goethe put it, “Colors are the deeds and sufferings of light.” More than a sensory experience, they influence our perception of space, depth, and meaning, revealing the intricate dialogue between vision and cognition.

🔍 Explore more about the illusion of colors.

Puzzling Colors: Red Between the Lines

Gianni Sarcone

Colors are not as fixed as they seem. The red you see might not be the same red someone else perceives. Your brain constantly interprets colors based on their surroundings, which can lead to surprising illusions.

Take this experiment inspired by the Munker-White effect: all the gray bars in the striped patterns are actually the same shade. Yet, next to blue lines, they appear bluish; beside mixed colors, they seem to shift tones. This is known as color assimilation—where a color takes on the influence of its neighbors.

The same illusion explains simultaneous brightness contrast. In the wine-pouring examples below, the liquid seems to change color in the glass. But actually, the red remains unchanged.

Here’s a simple animated variant of my project: Hard to believe, but the flow of wine stays the same shade of red all the way—from the bottle’s neck, through the pour, and even inside the glass. It’s only your perception that changes!

Even more striking—when cyan lines replace black ones, the liquid pouring from the bottle is actually gray from start to finish, yet it appears to turn into red wine in the glass. In reality, the red is just an illusion—your brain fills in the missing color where none exists.

🔴 See it for yourself! Fine art prints of my color experiments are available here:
👉 https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/166097393

⚠ Copyright Notice: My artworks are protected. Any use must include proper credit and a link to the original source. Commercial use is strictly prohibited.

Mystic Flying Bat

Gianni Sarcone

Mystic Flying Bat is a mixed-media artwork I created back in 2010. It was the starting point for a series of pieces in a similar style, some of which I screen-printed using different color palettes. With this work, I wanted to invite viewers to think about an intriguing question: What is movement?

What makes this kinoptic artwork special is the way it creates the illusion of motion. As you look at it, the black bat seems to flutter, expand, or shift. But here’s the fascinating part—if you stare at it long enough and then close your eyes, a white bat will appear in your mind!

Kinoptic designs, like this one, play with our perception, making still images feel alive. It’s all about the clever use of contrasting colors and the precise arrangement of shapes.

Curious about how to create something like this yourself? I’ve put together a tutorial you can check out.

If you’d like to own a print or canvas of Mystic Flying Bat, you can find them here.

Hypnotic Disc

Gianni Sarcone

Take a moment to focus on the circular pattern. How many spirals do you see? The surprising answer is none. There are no spirals here—just alternating black and yellow discs, slightly off-center and layered to create a striking illusion of swirling depth and motion.

© G. Sarcone, 1990

I began crafting pieces like this in the early ’90s, drawing inspiration from Duchamp’s Rotoreliefs. I was captivated by how simple rotation could deceive the eye, inviting the viewer into a world of optical illusions. It’s a unique experience—seeing motion and depth in something entirely flat, both puzzling and mesmerizing.

This op art pattern comes to life across various mediums and transforms into artistic expressions on different objects. In my online gallery, you’ll find art prints and everyday items featuring this work, all available for purchase.

Gliding Patterns: The Anomalous Motion Illusion

Gianni Sarcone

Let your gaze wander across the image below. Do the shapes in the first and third rows seem to subtly shift leftward, while the second and fourth rows appear to glide rightward?

© Gianni A. Sarcone, Gliding Patterns, 1999

Now, let your gaze wander across the image below. Do the concentric circles appear to subtly counter-rotate?

© Gianni A. Sarcone, Counter-Rotating Circles, 1999

Why do these static images appear to move? This perceptual phenomenon, known as “anomalous motion” or “peripheral drift illusion”, results from the interplay of color contrast, luminance, and eye movements. It occurs due to a sawtooth luminance grating in the visual periphery, where a sequence of contrasting colors transitions from light to dark. The speed of the perceived motion is influenced by the frequency of microsaccadic eye movements.

In the 1990s, I began creating many of these fascinating images, experimenting with patterns and contrasts to bring this mesmerizing effect to life.

Fine art prints and merchandise of these mesmerizing pieces are available in my online gallery—a perfect addition to any space!

Paradossal… Mente!

Gianni Sarcone

Sabato 21 dicembre ti aspettiamo alla Mostra delle Illusioni di Genova per “Paradossal…mente“, il laboratorio interattivo sulla percezione visiva che ho ideato e che guiderò personalmente. Non mancare!


I partecipanti saranno attivamente coinvolti in esperienze che mettono alla prova le percezioni: scopriranno illusioni ottiche inedite, creeranno giochi percettivi sconcertanti e indagheranno vari paradossi e misteri della mente e del sistema visivo. Ogni esperienza invita a riflettere su come il cervello può “ingannarci” o lasciarsi influenzare da ciò che lo circonda

Durata del laboratorio: 1 ora circaIl Materiale per il laboratorio creativo sarà fornito direttamente dalla Mostra delle Illusioni.

🔹APPUNTAMENTI:
🔸1 TURNO ORE 14:30
🔸2 TURNO ORE 15:30
🔸3 TURNO ORE 16:30

🔹QUOTA LABORATORIO:
ADULTO (18+): 20€
BAMBINO (8-17): 15€

🔹QUOTA LABORATORIO + MOSTRA:
ADULTO (18+): 30€
BAMBINO (8-17): 25€

🤩 Portate con voi la vostra curiosità…al resto ci pensiamo noi!

📍 Dove
Magazzini del Cotone – Modulo 1, Porto Antico di Genova
✅ Prenota al numero: 389-5540263 oppure scrivi a: mostragenova@lamostradelleillusioni.com

Illusive Concentric Circles

Gianni Sarcone

My op art piece Trinacria (1997) features three black-and-white zig-zagging shapes spiraling together to create the illusion of interwoven concentric circles. These jagged, repeating patterns add a sense of depth to the piece and produce a subtle rotating effect that seems to shift as you follow each line with your eyes.

Prints and canvases of Trinacria are available in my online gallery.

Below, an animated version enhances the effect. By focusing on the center, viewers can observe virtual circles appearing to move inward or outward, adding to the piece’s dynamic sense of rotation and depth.

Layering Up: A Creative Look at AI

Gianni Sarcone

Ever wondered how Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) process images? Imagine putting a photo through a pasta machine… TWICE! This creative experiment, inspired by artist Kensuke Koike, demonstrates how CNNs break down data into smaller, layered features, just like the pasta machine creates four clear images from a single input.

© Kensuke Koike

Duality in Motion

Gianni Sarcone

Explore a fascinating figure/ground effect in this op art piece, where 4 black illusive bangles appear to overlap with 4 white ones. The rotating patterns create a calming and hypnotic visual experience.

This design is now available as t-shirts and posters in my online gallery.

If you’re interested in creating your own op art, I also have a tutorial available on Behance.

I hope you enjoy this design, and I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!