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      Sculpting the Impossible: Solid Renditions of Visual Illusions

      Artists find mind-bending ways to bring visual illusions called impossible figures into three-dimensional reality.

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      Sculpting the Impossible: Solid Renditions of Visual Illusions
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      Sculpting the Impossible: Solid Renditions of Visual Illusions

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      • Imelda's Dream Come True Imelda Marcos, widow of the former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was infamous for her shoe collection, but also for quotes such as this: “People say I'm extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty...
      • "Lunch With a Helmet On" Shigeo Fukuda welded together 848 forks, knives and spoons to make “Lunch With a Helmet On.” In this case, Fukuda cleverly resolves the illusion by placing a light at the critical vantage point, making the motorcycle obvious only in the shadow cast by the utensil pile...
      • "Underground Piano" Depending on where you stand, you can see the mirror image of a pile of piano parts as a beautiful whole instrument, also by Shigeo Fukuda.
      • One-Man Band “Encore,” by Japanese artist Shigeo Fukuda, uses similar principles to represent a pianist and violinist in the same sculpture when viewed from two vantage points.
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      • Ascending and Descending M. C. Escher’s “Ascending and Descending” Lego rendition by Lipson and Shiu.
      • If Escher Can Do It, Legos Can, Too M. C. Escher’s “Relativity” appears here as a 3-D representation made with Lego blocks (no trick photography… it’s all real), by Andrew Lipson and Daniel Shiu...
      • Impossible Triangle Revisited Another impossible triangle (now in Ophoven, Belgium), with a different resolution altogether. Again, the viewer’s location relative to the object is critical. Now you know why there are various physical ways to achieve any particular impossible object...
      • How to Make the Impossible Triangle These additional images show the component elements of McKay’s take on the illusion.
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      • Impossible Triangle An industrial sized version of the “Impossible Triangle” in Perth, Australia, created by artist Brian McKay in collaboration with architect Ahmad Abas. How did they do that?...
      • Resolution to Schepker's "Crazy Crate" Another view of the “Crazy Crate” shows the method behind the madness. Notice that the illusion only works from a specific vantage point. At any other angle, the illusion fails...
      • "Crazy Crate" Hans Schepker has built outstanding sculptures of impossible objects, such as this “Crazy Crate.” Click to the next side to find out how he did it.
      • Homage to the Impossible Escher’s “Belvedere” showcases columns that switch walls between their bases and capitals, a straight ladder whose base rests inside the building yet nevertheless enters the building from the outside at its top, and a sitting man holding an impossible cube...
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      • Impossible Figures The “Elusive Arch,” by Dejan Todorović of the University of Belgrade, Serbia, shows a new impossible figure. The left-hand portion of the figure appears as three shiny oval tubes...
      • Impossible Figures The impossible triangle (also called the Penrose Triangle or the “tribar”) was first created in 1934 by Oscar Reutersvärd. Penrose, the famous mathematical physicist, attended a lecture by the artist M...
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      • Imelda's Dream Come True
      • "Lunch With a Helmet On"
      • "Underground Piano"
      • One-Man Band
      • Ascending and Descending
      • If Escher Can Do It, Legos Can, Too
      • Impossible Triangle Revisited
      • How to Make the Impossible Triangle
      • Impossible Triangle
      • Resolution to Schepker's "Crazy Crate"
      • "Crazy Crate"
      • Homage to the Impossible
      • Impossible Figures
      • Impossible Figures
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