M.C. ESCHER
Graphic Artist
Maurits Cornelis Escher, born 1898 in Holland is, to my mind, one of the most brilliant graphic artists the world has ever had. His work is famous around the globe and many books and websites contain samples of his work.
1961 wood engraving: Mobius Strip I
Known to the world as M.C. Escher, he intended to study architecture,
but found instead his calling in printmaking and drawing. His creations range from true-to-life
to the incredible – fantasy worlds where “nothing works.”
The images below
illustrate his “impossible constructions,” as well as his symmetrical
endeavours and sketches of landscapes made during his travels. He lived for
varying times in Italy, Switzerland and Belgium, as well as his native Holland, and made hundreds of woodcuts, engravings, lithographs and drawings, inspired
by the countries he settled in or by his vivid imagination. As well as being a graphic artist, Escher was involved in
tapestry designing, murals and book illustration.
Impossible construction
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| Ascending and Descending |
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| Relativity |
Transformation
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| Metamorphosis |
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| Fish and Frogs |
Symmetry
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| Seahorse 11 |
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| Clowns |
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| Hand With Reflection Sphere (self portrait) |
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| Corte-Corsica |
Today
Once seen, Escher’s art is not forgotten: the pieces have a
haunting, often ethereal quality that cannot help but move the viewer. His art
evolved via principles of perspective and impossible spaces and, as far as I’m
concerned, his prolific output and innovative mind will seldom see equals in his genre.
M.C. Escher died in 1972, but his work brings his name to
mind for many admirers to this day. One can buy a watch with an Escher design on the face, sculptures of his most famous art, not to mention jigsaw puzzles, posters, men’s ties, bags and T-shirts.
They are all sure to be conversation pieces.
