With this work, I aim to push geometry to its limits, transcending the confines of color. My goal is to showcase the creative potential of simple concentric squares as a medium for experimentation and the discovery of new op art patterns. By delving into this exploration, I strive to unveil captivating illusions of color and mesmerizing motion.
Draw a large and a small square with thick lines and center them (Fig. A). Next, blend the inner and outer squares in six steps to create a set of concentric squares. Reproduce the set to form a larger square pattern, as shown in Fig. B.
In these minimalist op art works, I explore geometry as metaphor, using the hexagon as a building block for cubes and other regular solids. The forms appear stable and believable, yet they are impossible. Their contradiction isn’t obvious at first; it reveals itself only when the eye slows down and follows the structure closely. By merging incompatible viewpoints and softening the boundary between inside and outside, the drawings turn logic against itself. The more ordinary the form looks, the stronger the effect—these objects are meant less to trick the eye than to unsettle the mind and challenge our sense of space.
The two drawings displayed above and below combine paired tribars to form an impossible isometric cube, where form and illusion lock into a single structure.
Here, the “volume” turns itself inside out, quietly echoing the logic of a Klein bottle and unsettling the usual distinction between interior and exterior.
I am currently in the process of writing an informative book titled “Mastering Optical & Geometric Art: A Journey to Captivating Creations.” With a length of 136 pages, this book serves as an engaging guide to creating visually striking optical art and intricate 2D and 3D patterns. If you are interested in exploring further, I invite you to connect with me on Amazon.
Is yellow the true color of the sun? Our sun emits a broad spectrum of radiation, including visible light, which is crucial for life on Earth. In the vacuum of space, the sun appears white because it emits light across all wavelengths fairly evenly. However, when this light enters our atmosphere, it encounters air molecules and particles that scatter shorter wavelengths—primarily blue light—more effectively than longer wavelengths like red and yellow.
Simultaneous Color Contrast Explained…
Consider a small, clear disc placed against a blue background. The disc may appear slightly yellow due to the influence of the blue light surrounding it. This visual effect is similar to how we perceive the sun against the blue sky.In essence, while the sun itself emits white light, our atmosphere alters its appearance, leading us to see it as yellowish or orangish at times.
Additionally, not all species perceive colors in the same way. Different animals have varying sensitivities to wavelengths of light. This means their experience of color and light can be quite different from ours.
For more fun facts about color perception and optical illusions, visit Archimedes Lab.
Psychologist Diana Deutsch noticed something strange in 1995 while fine-tuning spoken commentary on a CD. The phrase “sometimes behave so strangely” sounded like a song when repeated on a loop. The phenomenon isn’t fully understood.
Deutsch’s illusion “Sometimes Behave So Strangely” experienced by the fifth graders of Atwater School, Shorewood, Wisconsin. Video created by their music teacher Walt Boyer.
Do our eyes truly act as the gateway to the world, as poets suggest? Not quite. We see the world through tiny pupils that act as spy holes. Our brain is like a creative ‘camera obscura‘, constantly comparing differences between images received by each eye and individual elements within each image. This makes our eyes highly sensitive to contrasts in brightness, sharpness, and depth. Sometimes, our brain tries to correct what we see.
Try this experiment: Look at the blurry face below next to the sharp one for 20-30 seconds (staring at the fixation star between them), then quickly shift your gaze to the same scene further below. You’ll notice that the previously clear face now appears blurry while the previously blurry face appears clearer. This illusion, called contrast adaptation or contrast gain control, occurs because prolonged exposure to blurry images affects our visual acuity and sensitivity to contrast.
As an artist, I enjoy including subliminal messages or figures in my work. My paintings, photographs and collages play on the foreground and background relationship of our visual perception and represent common or iconic faces the viewer has to rediscover.
In this magical bookmark of my creation, a portrait of M. L. King appears when held over a blank page or up to a light. From his famous words, we are reminded that, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” A neat gift available from Art of Play.
While in this one below, a portrait of Gandhi appears when held over a blank page or up to a light — a subtle reminder to read with intention and “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Still available from my partner Art of Play.
Although NOTHING moves on the gif below – only the colors change! – it’s easy to spot which direction the wheel is “rotating”… But which side is in front? Which side the back?
Another hypnotic version in which still squares and diamonds seem to move, but only colors change slightly!
Per celebrare la luce è stato realizzato un percorso espositivo nell’Università di Firenze dedicato alle illusioni ottiche. La mostra, curata da un comitato scientifico, ospita anche molte delle mie opere.
To celebrate light, an exhibition’s itinerary was created at the University of Florence to explore the world of optical illusions. The exhibition, curated by a scientific committee, also hosts many works of mine.
Per celebrare la luce è stato realizzato un percorso espositivo nell’Università di Firenze dedicato alle illusioni ottiche. La mostra, curata da un comitato scientifico, ospita anche molte opere dell’artista di arte ottica Gianni Sarcone. Leggi: https://t.co/QW8BrU6hOFpic.twitter.com/1vNArm9DZL
When your brain lies… There is NO yellow, nor red, nor green in the picture below! The only real colors are blue, cyan and magenta. Scientists and artists call these color induction effects “simultaneous color contrast” and “color assimilation”.
Inspired from the astrological tables, here is a new puzzle of my creation designed according to the ‘Golden Number Rules’, which is reflected in the proportion of each single piece of the game. Thanks to the balanced dimensions of its pieces, this puzzle acquires some intriguing magical properties!
This “math-magical” puzzle is composed of a tray in which the pieces are assembled.
Object of the puzzle game
Fit the small extra piece into the puzzle without apparently altering its original dimensions. All the pieces must lie tight and flat! Impossible? See the solutions below.
The animated demonstration below is more eloquent than all theories. The puzzle shown in the video is a variant made in hard plastic, and cut using water-jet technology with an accuracy/precision of 0.01!
Here’s a wooden version of the puzzle I designed in the late 1990s. Each set of pieces is made in a different color, giving the puzzle a clean, elegant look while making its deceptive geometry even more striking.
I am looking for a game manufacturer able to produce and distribute this incredible puzzle. You can contact me through my website.
☞ Further reading: explore the complete Vanishing Piece Puzzle project on my Behance profile.
Explore My World of Art, Books, and Creative Concepts
