Artist: Kelly M. Houle


M.C. Escher experimented with different ways of showing infinity in three dimensions. He decided that tiling the surface of a sphere to form a continuous, three-dimensional tessellation was the most perfect way to express infinity, but he knew that there was no way to bend a flat piece of paper into a sphere.
Escher II: Infinite Reflection
(charcoal on board, 1998)




Escher II: Infinite Reflection
(charcoal on board, 1998)
He knew it was possible to bend a piece of paper into a cylinder and join the ends to form a seamless tessellation, but because the surface would be artificially joined, it would not be truly a continuous surface.



A cylindrical mirror provides a way of bending the picture plane similar to the method described by Escher. By using anamorphic techniques, it is possible to form a continuous, infinite image in three dimensions without changing the shape of the paper.
Escher II: Infinite Reflection
(charcoal on board, 1998)




Escher II: Infinite Reflection
(charcoal on board, 1998)
The cylindrical anamorphosis shown here is based on a photograph of Escher looking at his own reflection in a spherical mirror. At one point, the viewer sees Escher's profile in the reflection. Moving around the drawing counter-clockwise, Escher appears to be looking at his own reflection in a spherical mirror.



At 180 degrees from the starting point, the viewer sees only the reflective sphere in its correct proportions, and at 270 degrees from the starting point, the viewer sees the back of Escher's head reflected in the same sphere.
Escher II: Infinite Reflection
(charcoal on board, 1998)



All artwork ©Kelly M. Houle.
Collection of the M.C. Escher Foundation.

Kelly M. Houle,
18215 North 18th Place,
Phoenix, AZ 85022,
U.S.A.
Tel: 602-482-2671.
E-mail: khoule@worldnet.att.net
Website: http://www.kellyhoule.com



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       | Homage to Escher |
                                       
                                  | gallery entrance |

                            | past exhibitions |

                                           | Leonardo On-Line |