This section contains a potpourri of visual and verbal puzzles, fun, flippancy and ephemera,
to bore, bewilder, or bamboozle; to exhaust, enliven, and hopefully, to entertain.

By Betty Edwards ... Harper Collins Publishers, London - paperback edition 1993	PERCEPTION, INTERPRETATION of IMAGES, and LEFT - RIGHT CONFLICT	Face - or 'Liar' ???
'Drawing on The Right Side of the Brain' by Betty Edwards, was first published in 1979. It encourages the reader "to tune in to the creative, intuitive and artistic side of the brain - the right side." The author's teaching techniques are based on recent brain research which shows that after early childhood most of us develop the left, verbal hemispheres of our brains, at the expense of the visual side. By setting the reader simple tasks which only the right side of the brain can perform, Betty Edwards heightens awareness of shape, colour and form, encouraging the reader to see more clearly and intuitively. It is a fascinating book to read and following the exercises can be very rewarding. Here's a little exercise, not taken from the book, to demonstrate the brain's right-side dominance. Look at the chart and say the COLOUR - NOT THE WORD !!! Not easy, is it? Your RIGHT brain tries to say the COLOUR but your LEFT BRAIN insists on reading the WORD.

Do my eyes deceive me ? Below are 4 more images illustrating the conflicting ways in which the eye perceives and the brain interprets:

This figure is based on the Hermann Grid. There are plenty of dots at the grid crossings, BUT ... . ... Can you REALLY see a black dot ???	Spinning Wheels ... Look hard at the centre dot and then move your head towards and then away from the screen to make them turn in opposite directions.
But ... the diagonal lines ARE parallel !!!	And ... so are the horizontal lines here !!!

Goblets or Faces ???

Il Duce - from all sides !!! Continuous profile of Mussolini, Bronzed terra-cotta Sculpture by Renato Bertelli, 1933 This dynamic sculpture is an official portrait of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, who approved its design. It shows the distinctive profile of the Fascist leader rotated 360 degrees. The work, modelled in ceramic, was replicated in metal and offered for sale. Mussolini as "Il Duce" - the Leader - used his own image in propaganda and made it a symbol of his government and its policies. For this portrait, the sculptor Renato Bertelli followed Futurist precepts of time and motion, employing the avant-garde concepts of simultaneity to create a profile, usually a two-dimensional image, in three dimensions.

HEADS & TAILS Each of the 5 images below has 2 distinct interpretations. For 2 of them you will need to invert the image, or yourself (!), to see the second image clearly.
The Sailor and his Lass	The Eskimo and the Easter Island Figure	The Maiden and the Old Crone	Beauty and the Beast	Freud and the Nude

'VOGUES' GALLERY of INVERTED FEATURES The dominance of the eyes and mouth. In the 6 images below the eyes and the mouth of each face have been inverted. This obviously distorts the image and hinders quick recognition of the face. However, if you can look at the photographs upside down - you'll have to try to invert yourself rather than the computer screen - or print them out first - then the face appears virtually normal and recognition becomes easy.
Face No.1	Face No.2	Face No.3	Face No.4	Face No.5	Face No.6
For those not familiar with British politics or the media, the names of the faces are given at the bottom of this page.

After-Images We are well aware that vision can persist after ceasing to look at something. In its simplest form, looking for any length of time at an image, particularly one with simplified colour contrasts, allows that image to be retained for a limited period of time afterwards. The colours of the after-image will normally reverse those of the initial image. One technique for developing after-imagery is called "flashing" (Yes it is!). This involves looking at something bright for a few seconds and then quickly closing your eyes. You then concentrate on the after-image you experience. Try it with these 3 black and white images below. Stare at each, in turn, for about 30 seconds, trying not to blink or waver away from the centre of the image. Then, immediately afterwards, look at a plain white surface (e.g. a sheet of paper) and the reverse-coloured image should appear. You may need to look at the white paper for several seconds before the image begins to show itself. It is possible, by staring hard at the central image, to produce ONE after-image of all 3 pictures! . . . Recognise anyone ???

An after-image with Colour Now try this. Stare intently for 30 seconds at the addition sign in between the blue and green spots. Then look away at a white surface to see that one blue spot plus one green spot equals one yellow spot.

Stereograms Stereograms are 3D images hidden within another picture. The most common form of Stereogram is called a SIRD (Single Image Random Dots). This kind of Stereogram looks like an area filled with a random pattern of dots. In order to view the two 3-D images below, first click on the thumbnail image to obtain an enlarged image. Then, simply stare at the picture until the image starts to take shape.         Some TIPS on how to see the effect: 1. Pick a spot on the picture (the middle seems to work best) and just stare at it. 2. Allow your eyes to relax, don't just stare AT the image, try to stare THROUGH it, as though the picture was an image painted on a sheet of glass which you are attempting to see beyond. You'll notice your eyes will go slightly out of focus. This is normal. 3. Keep staring, don't give up. Once you begin to see the first image, it gets much easier. 4. There are reasons why some people cannot see hidden stereograms as the basic principle behind a stereogram depends on the ability of a person to merge multiple objects into one.

The Dancer

The Vase

Excelent & Recommended ILUSION website - 100s od real exhibits !!!
http://www.sandlotscience.com

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'VOGUES' GALLERY Answers ...

1. Anthea Turner 2. Tony Blair 3. Charlie Dimmock

4. John Prescott 5. Carol Smillie 6. Michael Portillo

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