Anamorphosis
An Anamorphic image is an extreme case of perspective, where the image is stretched beyond recognition and only appears normal when viewed from a certain point. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries artists used anamorphosis to conceal spiritual or political meanings in their paintings. Viewing the painting from head-on (as you normally would) would not reveal the message but viewing the painting from its side would magically transform the anamorphic image to something recognizable. The best known example of a singular anamorphic distortion is Hans Holbien's painting "The Ambassadors" c. 1533, where a skull is painted in anamorphosis as a reminder of man's mortality and spiritual concerns.
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Anamorphic Cylinder
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were the golden age of anamorphosis. Examples ranged from books, paintings and prints. The viewer is deceived by an almost undistinguishable image that is drawn, painted or printed in a circular or semi-circular anamorphic image also known as a curvilinear image which is produced by curved lines. The image is then reflected in a cylindrical mirror and magically corrected to something that is recognizable to the viewer.
It is both interesting and logical that since the development of perspective in the fifteenth century that experiments to better understand it would bring about some truly amazing examples of invention. It is my belief that perspective cabinets, anamorphic cylinders, conical and pyramidal anamorphosis found there way first as a natural progression of perspective study and then became wonderfully entertaining toys for the wealthy. The invention of the camera along with a focus on the study of color caused this art form to be overlooked, and I believe that its full potential was never realized. Through my own experiments, the images produced by these mirrors have a three dimensional quality to them that has not been fully explored. As a contemporary Trompe l'Oeil artist I find that my experiments with this lost art give me a better understanding of linear perspective and how to fool the eye.
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Anamorphic Conical Mirror
The Anamorphic (from the Greek ana (again), morphe (shape) indicates that the viewer must play a part and reform the picture himself. Like the Anamorphic Cylinder, the viewer is first deceived by a barely recognizable painting then is directed to a view-point that reconstructs the painting.
Unlike the Anamorphic Cylinder the Conical Mirror adds one more element to the complexity of the painting. Whereas the anamorphic cylinder is painted backwards and inverted, the conical mirror is painted backward, inverted and inside out.
The first known example of Anamorphosis was found in Leonardo da Vinci: Codex Atlanticus c. 1485. The Dutch application was in their Perspective Cabinets or "perspektyfkas". The painting starts as a grid transformation for the general design. The detail must be painted while looking only into the mirror.
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The Search For Utopia
In the side view, you see the conical mirror and the painting surrounding it, appearing as unrecognizable patterns, shapes and colors. Below, you see a view looking directly down on the painting, with the corrected image reforming itself in a reflection on the cone-shaped mirror in the center.
The Search for Utopia is reminiscent of three painting images. The anamorphic image is transformed into his self portrait c. 1887. The outer edge of the anamorphosis is a vision of Starry Night c. 1889 that is reproduced in the apex of the conical mirror as the pupil of Vincent's left eye...or his mind's eye! The frame is a subliminal reminder of Vincent's confinement: Chair and Pipe c. 1888.
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