This illusion, created in 1957 by neuroscientist Donald M. MacKay (then at King's College London in England), shows that simple patterns of regular or repetitive stimuli, such as radial lines (called "MacKay rays") can induce the perception of shimmering or illusory motion at right angles to those of the pattern....[More]
MacKay Rays
This illusion, created in 1957 by neuroscientist Donald M. MacKay (then at King's College London in England), shows that simple patterns of regular or repetitive stimuli, such as radial lines (called "MacKay rays") can induce the perception of shimmering or illusory motion at right angles to those of the pattern. To see the illusion, look at the center of the circle and notice the peripheral shimmering.
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BBC Wallboard
This illusion has its origin as a chance observation. MacKay first observed this effect on the wallboard of a BBC studio: the broadcasting staff had been annoyed by illusory shadows running up and down blank strips between columns of parallel lines....[More]
BBC Wallboard
This illusion has its origin as a chance observation. MacKay first observed this effect on the wallboard of a BBC studio: the broadcasting staff had been annoyed by illusory shadows running up and down blank strips between columns of parallel lines.
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The Enigma Illusion
Op artist Isia Leviant unknowingly combined the MacKay Rays and the BBC wallboard illusion in the now classic Enigma illusion. Several original Leviant paintings illustrating this effect hang in the San Francisco Exploratorium, including its very first version (known as the Traffic Illusion)....[More]
The Enigma Illusion
Op artist Isia Leviant unknowingly combined the MacKay Rays and the BBC wallboard illusion in the now classic Enigma illusion. Several original Leviant paintings illustrating this effect hang in the San Francisco Exploratorium, including its very first version (known as the Traffic Illusion). As you view the Enigma image, notice how the concentric purple rings appear to fill with rapid circular motion, as if millions of tiny and barely visible cars were driving hell-bent-for-leather around a track. But does the illusion originate in the mind or in the eye? The evidence was conflicting until we found, in collaboration with our neuroscientist colleagues Xoana G. Troncoso and Jorge Otero-Millan, at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, that the illusory motion is driven by microsaccades: small, involuntary eye movements that occur during visual fixation. The precise brain mechanisms leading to the perception of the illusion are still unknown, however. One possibility is that microsaccades produce small shifts in the geometrical position of the peripheral portions of the image. The reversals in contrast that these shifts produce could then create the illusion of motion. Neuroscientist and artist Bevil Conway and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School recently showed that pairs of stimuli of different contrasts can generate motion signals in visual cortex neurons, and proposed that this neural mechanism may underlie the perception of illusory motion in certain static patterns.
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The image is courtesy of Jorge Otero-Millan
Op Art Is Alive and Well
Vision scientist Akiyoshi Kitaoka at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, follows on the footsteps of the great op artists of some decades ago. Waterway Spirals is a compelling and powerful version of Leviant's Enigma....[More]
Op Art Is Alive and Well
Vision scientist Akiyoshi Kitaoka at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, follows on the footsteps of the great op artists of some decades ago. Waterway Spirals is a compelling and powerful version of Leviant's Enigma. Notice the strong illusory motion along the blue spiraling stripe.
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Courtesy of Akiyoshi Kitaoka
Look at the center of the pupil and you will see the surrounding purple rings fill with rapid illusory motion. Neuroscientist and engineer Jorge Otero-Millan's tribute to Leviant features the illusory motion seen in Enigma, and it also reflects the role of eye movements in the perception of the illusion....[More]
Enigmatic Eye
Look at the center of the pupil and you will see the surrounding purple rings fill with rapid illusory motion. Neuroscientist and engineer Jorge Otero-Millan's tribute to Leviant features the illusory motion seen in Enigma, and it also reflects the role of eye movements in the perception of the illusion.
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Bridget Riley's Motion Illusions
Most of the motion illusions featured in this slide show are potentially triggered by eye movements, both large and small. This pattern, by op artist Bridget Riley, gives the impression of fast spiraling motion as observers move their eyes around the image....[More]
Bridget Riley's Motion Illusions
Most of the motion illusions featured in this slide show are potentially triggered by eye movements, both large and small. This pattern, by op artist Bridget Riley, gives the impression of fast spiraling motion as observers move their eyes around the image.
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Bridget Riley's Motion Illusions
In another tribute to Riley, vision scientist Nick Wade of the University of Dundee in Scotland created an example that features both streaming and shimmering motion, and it is reminiscent of various famous Riley artworks....[More]
This illusion is by op artist Hajime Ouchi. Move your head back and forth as you let your eyes wander around the image and notice how the circle and its background appear to shift independently of one another....[More]
The Ouchi Illusion
This illusion is by op artist Hajime Ouchi. Move your head back and forth as you let your eyes wander around the image and notice how the circle and its background appear to shift independently of one another. Vision scientist Lothar Spillmann at the University of Freiburg in Germany stumbled upon the illusion while browsing Ouchi's book on Japanese Optical and Geometrical Art. Spillmann then introduced the Ouchi illusion to the vision sciences community, where it has enjoyed immense popularity.
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The Ouchi Illusion This illusion is a contemporary variation on the Ouchi pattern, by Kitaoka. [Link to this slide]
More of Kitaoka's Op Art Hatpin Urchin, by Kitaoka, dramatically demonstrates the importance of eye movements in the perception of this kinetic illusion. [Link to this slide]
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines illusion
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines Illusion, by vision scientists Simone Gori and Kai Hamburger, then at the University of Freiburg in Germany, is a novel variation of the Enigma effect and Bridget Riley's Blaze....[More]
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines illusion
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines Illusion, by vision scientists Simone Gori and Kai Hamburger, then at the University of Freiburg in Germany, is a novel variation of the Enigma effect and Bridget Riley's Blaze. To best observe the illusion, move your head closer and then farther away from your computer screen. As you approach the image, notice that the radial lines appear to rotate counterclockwise. As you move away from the image, they appear to rotate clockwise. This illusion was featured in the first edition of the Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest (held August 23, 2005, in A Coruña, Spain;).
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The image is courtesy of Simone Gori.
The Rotating-Tilted-Lines illusion Artist Miwa Miwa's variant of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines illusion pays homage to "Vertigo," the classic film by Alfred Hitchcock. [Link to this slide]
Combination of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines and Enigma
Gori and Hamburger's combination of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines and the Enigma illusion is both visually arresting and a powerful demonstration of illusory motion from a static pattern....[More]
Combination of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines and Enigma
Gori and Hamburger's combination of the Rotating-Tilted-Lines and the Enigma illusion is both visually arresting and a powerful demonstration of illusory motion from a static pattern. The Enigma illusion, almost three decades after its creation in 1981 by Leviant, continues to inspire visual science as well the visual arts.
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These optical illusions are so cool. I was very suprised by the fact that our eyes can move so fast. I think that the comment above me (vrkgeologist) is correct, our eyes move so fast and thedrawings are so intricately designed that as soon as we blink or move slightly, that picture appears to move as well. Try looking at the pictures without blinking or moving at all. They do not work very well or at all. The moving and blinking is what makes them optical illusions.
It is always so fascinating when art and science combine. I always have thought of art and science being two totally seperate ideas. But seeing these illusions, and the scientific explination behind it, makes it that more interesting. The eyes can work in mysteriuos ways, and can often distort the way we views things, and cause us to see different things. Those optical illusions hurt my eyes after looking at so many, but that further showed that my eyes were working and that the illusions were doing what they were suppose to do. Articles like these can always make me stop, and they are so amazing to read. Plus, I learned a lot of new information about my brain and my eyes, and how art can have a signifacant role in brain activity and eye movement. Also, I had no clue there were artists out there op artists. How do you become one?
Great story! I grew up enjoying these kinds of illusions at the Exploratorium. They're now available online at http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/f_exhibits.html. And I also grew up to work there =)
For some reason I typically don't see motion in kinetic illusions. For me only 3, 6 and 14 have any motion, the others are simply flat drawings. Can anyone explain why this might be happening?
It is possible that the motion is caused by the angle with which both eyes are receiving information. If a person has monocular vision, using one eye at a time, it may be similar to a lack of depth perception. Do you find similar difficulty with images viewed with the 3-D "glasses"?
Illusions 3, 10, 11, 14 had apretty strong impact on me but 12 was different than described. Instead of motion I got red at the edges of the black lines. None of the other illusions caused anything but vague impressions of motion or change that were not strong enough to classify. Just an additional note, I'm wearing trifocals.
You can see all those illusions & more in "What Are You Looking at", ISBN: 1847321836 ( http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Looking-at/ ) and "Curiopticals", ISBN: 1847322298 ( http://www.amazon.com/Curiopticals-Gianni-Sarcone/ ).
You can see all those illusions & more in "What Are You Looking at", ISBN: 1847321836 ( http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Looking-at/ ) and "Curiopticals", ISBN: 1847322298 ( http://www.amazon.com/Curiopticals-Gianni-Sarcone/ ).
Hrm...that is odd...I don't see any of the illusions as they are described. They look as is...as if looking at a Zebra. Unless he was actually in -motion-. I read the other comments about the analogous depth perception and being able to view these...but honestly, I have no problems with 3D viewing, tripping over curbs, driving my car (and parking it) schizophrenia, autism etc...?! Weird.
Oh...interesting to note though, I have recently lost some peripheral vision on one side, and I am scheduled for CT scan this week. When I was young, I also had Strabismus...maybe this is why?
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16 Comments
Add CommentThese optical illusions are so cool. I was very suprised by the fact that our eyes can move so fast. I think that the comment above me (vrkgeologist) is correct, our eyes move so fast and thedrawings are so intricately designed that as soon as we blink or move slightly, that picture appears to move as well. Try looking at the pictures without blinking or moving at all. They do not work very well or at all. The moving and blinking is what makes them optical illusions.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is always so fascinating when art and science combine. I always have thought of art and science being two totally seperate ideas. But seeing these illusions, and the scientific explination behind it, makes it that more interesting. The eyes can work in mysteriuos ways, and can often distort the way we views things, and cause us to see different things. Those optical illusions hurt my eyes after looking at so many, but that further showed that my eyes were working and that the illusions were doing what they were suppose to do. Articles like these can always make me stop, and they are so amazing to read. Plus, I learned a lot of new information about my brain and my eyes, and how art can have a signifacant role in brain activity and eye movement. Also, I had no clue there were artists out there op artists. How do you become one?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthat is kool
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi think it is great and neat looking and it tells me how my eyes work
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGreat story! I grew up enjoying these kinds of illusions at the Exploratorium. They're now available online at http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/f_exhibits.html. And I also grew up to work there =)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor some reason I typically don't see motion in kinetic illusions. For me only 3, 6 and 14 have any motion, the others are simply flat drawings. Can anyone explain why this might be happening?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is possible that the motion is caused by the angle with which both eyes are receiving information. If a person has monocular vision, using one eye at a time, it may be similar to a lack of depth perception. Do you find similar difficulty with images viewed with the 3-D "glasses"?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNo, 3-D in all its various flavors has always works for me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIllusions 3, 10, 11, 14 had apretty strong impact on me but 12 was different than described. Instead of motion I got red at the edges of the black lines. None of the other illusions caused anything but vague impressions of motion or change that were not strong enough to classify. Just an additional note, I'm wearing trifocals.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou can see all those illusions & more in "What Are You Looking at", ISBN: 1847321836 ( http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Looking-at/ ) and "Curiopticals", ISBN: 1847322298 ( http://www.amazon.com/Curiopticals-Gianni-Sarcone/ ).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou can see all those illusions & more in "What Are You Looking at", ISBN: 1847321836 ( http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-You-Looking-at/ ) and "Curiopticals", ISBN: 1847322298 ( http://www.amazon.com/Curiopticals-Gianni-Sarcone/ ).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWonderful illusions which, in this case, do happen to be appropriately named "optical" since they emerge due to eye movement effects.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave you ever seen somebody lick the chutney spoon in an Indian Restaurant and put it back ? This would never have happened under the Tories.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHrm...that is odd...I don't see any of the illusions as they are described. They look as is...as if looking at a Zebra. Unless he was actually in -motion-. I read the other comments about the analogous depth perception and being able to view these...but honestly, I have no problems with 3D viewing, tripping over curbs, driving my car (and parking it) schizophrenia, autism etc...?! Weird.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh...interesting to note though, I have recently lost some peripheral vision on one side, and I am scheduled for CT scan this week. When I was young, I also had Strabismus...maybe this is why?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI always love a good optical illusion. I have been Exploring Illusions for the last decade and have some of the images online at:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://exploring-illusions.com
Hope you enjoy the illusions. -GR