Fool the Eye

Is it a flat surface or is it a sculpture. Is it a photo or is it a painting? Is it wood or is it bronze? Is it rubber or is it steel? Perceptual tricks, optical illusions, a thousand playing cards combined suggest a face. Take a few steps to the right, the image changes; a few steps to the left, maybe another change.

What's real and what isn't? A photo starts to look like a painting, a collage like a photo. The real and the unreal become mixed together. All this and more is present in Fool the Eye, a study of how artists use the magic of perceptual illusion to fool viewers into thinking they're seeing something that's not there. Expect fascination, intrigue, shock, and astonishment.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.