Thursday, June 3, 2004
The Drawing Hands
Was cleaning my bookshelf last evening, when I ran into a copy of my high school annual magazine/yearbook from India. An inconspicuous and dusty book with the school logo proudly displayed in one corner and a picture of a dozen geeky girls in braces (yes, yours truly included) on the inner cover with the title Student Editorial Board. Yikes, one can only hope that there are no other copies of this book lying around in any corner of the universe!
Anyhoo, so this book, has a really fascinating image on the cover. A piece of paper held to the table by pins, while a hand is busy sketching the cuff of a sleeve. The sleeve extends to the drawing of a hand, that having emerged with a form of its own, is in turn, drawing the cuff on the first hand’s sleeve. Classic chicken/egg cyclic funda!
The Drawing Hands © M C Escher
Many years later I learnt more about the creator of this fascinating work of art — M C Escher, one of the most famous graphic artists of the 20th century. While he created his share of realistic art, he is perhaps most famous for his seemingly impossible structures. His experiments with infinite space, relativity, spirals, mirror images et al are fascinating for artists and mathematicians alike. In fact, the phrase ‘mathematical art’ is often used to describe his work. In particular, Drawing Hands is one of Escher’s most recognized prints, a classic conflict between flat surface and three-dimensional space.
Anyways, long story short, seeing the image made me feel a compelling need to write about it, hence this blog :)
“Mathematical art”. Math never sounded so beautiful.:-)
Thanks for sharing and the link, this is the first time I have heard about it.
Thursday, June 3, 2004 @ 3:43 PM
Interesting indeed. Though I vaguely remember seeing the ‘Drawing Hands’ somewhere, years ago, didnt know the fact about Mathematical Art. But I still think the picture of the dozen geeky girls (including ours truly) should have been included. Interesting post, interesting link. Kudos to you :)
- H
Saturday, June 5, 2004 @ 10:49 AM
I first learnt about escher when google had on his bday,
the logo tailored to the same painting that you show below. Immediatly fascinated I started to read more about him .
This is how the google logo looked btw
(http://www.jeroen.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?uid=standard-84)
I think the very term “scientific/mathematical art” is fascinating isnt it. Its in a way oxymoronic. Arent many eternal debates about the fact that something is an art or a science ? The fact that someone took them both together and created such “wraps your mind”, mathematically accurate “art” is interesting in itself !
Saturday, June 5, 2004 @ 9:55 PM
The work in a way embodies Escher’s quote
“So let us then try to climb the mountain, not by stepping on what is below us, but to pull us up at what is above us, for my part at the stars;”
There is another one titled “Day and Night” which is my favorite among the Escher collection.
Is suuppose you might have also read the classic “Godel,Escher,Bach- An Eternal Golden Braid”.
I’ll shut my trap now.
Sunday, June 6, 2004 @ 12:13 PM
Looks like paintings are in for me..Just completed Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and had a relook at some of Leonardo’s masterpieces.. n now, this delightful bit of info on Escher..Thanks for the link too :-)
Monday, June 7, 2004 @ 6:25 AM
hi,
was a silent reader here, and this is my first comment. you have an amazing blog here. fantastic posts.
me, an art director with an ad agency and a fan of escher. his graphics are simply mindboggling.
continue to write and enthrall us.
regards
bellur
PS: you have been blogrolled.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007 @ 12:50 AM
I’m a student from germany and I saw this wonderful picture when I searched a picture for my arts lesson. I d’ont know who made this webside because I didn’t had the time to search for you.
This is my favourite picture and I think Escher is or was very creative….
I hope you can understand what I wrote and it would be very very nice if you could write something to my private adress(normally you have it)
THANKS
anja
Tuesday, December 11, 2007 @ 10:27 AM