Optical Illusions and Depth Perception
Be it on a screen for a computer or a piece of paper optical illusions can be mesmerizing. The optical illusions can be a fascinating example of how the brain interprets sensory data to construct the illusion of reality.
The lines that flex and buckle forms that pop out and color variations – all of these are the elements of optical illusions. The human visual system is constantly perceiving light colors, distance, and dimensions.
What exactly is an Optical Illusion?
An optical illusion happens when an image is able to confuse the brain and eyes. In a fraction of a second hundreds of images are being transmitted to the brain by the visual system. The brain organizes the information by defining boundaries, analysing different areas of contrast, sorting colors and even figuring out based on past experiences, what it ought to see.
Sometimes it gets things wrong. Optical illusions aren’t an error in the eyes or the brain It’s just an uneasy relationship between the two concerning what’s being perceived. Other senses may also be affected by similar effects. If you’ve seen an insect crawling on your arms, it might appear to be moving.
Three types of optical illusions exist The three kinds of optical illusions are literal, physiological and cognitive. The physiological illusions are pictures which appear to be moving but are actually still images. They result from over stimulation of the brain’s senses as they attempt to discern the movement of a scene from one that’s not moving. The illusions that can occur include the Ponzo Illusion where two lines appear to be of different lengths.
The use of optical illusions in advertising – illusions
There are many optical illusions at museums, in psychology classes, or even on the walls of your hippie friends. But you probably never imagined that they could be used as a way to advertise. They can be very effective in drawing attention to people by creating a sensation of movement or, in some cases even crinkly eyelids.
Jane Pain, a popular company that sells lingerie, recently announced an optical illusion campaign featuring the bums and busts of their products. When you look closer however, you’ll notice that the body parts not being covered are actually elbows and knees.
A Kit Kat truck is another cool optical illusion used in advertising. It makes it look as if the driver is lying in hammock instead of being driven. This optical illusion is a great method to draw attention of people and also to entice them to take a break and enjoy a Kit Kat. This advertisement uses perceptual priming as well as set to create a positive connection with the brand.
Artistic Optic Illusions
MC Escher’s Penrose triangle and his never-ending staircase are well-known examples of optical illusions. But optical effects have been a vital strand of art from the Renaissance, when artists used linear perspective as well as the camera obscura in order to create amazing trompe l’oeil illusions of depth and space.
Often geometric in nature, Op art is not representational and makes use of lines, shapes and blocks of color to give the impression of movement, hidden images or swells or warping. The work of Victor Vasarely and the 1965 exhibition The Responsive Eye brought it to a new level in popularity during the 1960s.
Influenced by the Op art movement, artist Joseph Albers experimented with how the colors interact and affect one another. In his Homage to the Square paintings, Albers layers colored squares on top of one another in order to investigate the way different hues influence our perception of shape and depth.
Optical Illusions in Music
The latest optical illusion that is making the rounds is a musical illusion. It is based on a layout of musical notes that are identical. They can create the appearance of lyrics when they are played simultaneously on a keyboard.
These brilliant illusions are an excellent illustration of the way your brain absorbs information from your senses. It uses it to form an image of the world around you. The brain is extremely strong, whether this occurs in the natural way or intentionally.
Artists such as Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely experimented with illusionary effects in their work. Soto created installations that blurred the distinction between art and the viewer in a bid to make them engage with his artwork.
