Flatness Exploration

Objective: Explore the conflict between a flat artwork and the three dimensional scene it suggests.

1. Look at:
   • Cycle
   • Drawing Hands
   • Predestination
   • Encounter
   • Magic Mirror
   • Reptiles
   What is a common theme in these prints? (Hint: look at the learning objective.) Give a short description of how this theme shows up in each print.
2. Look at Three spheres I (Magic pg 173). What's going on in this picture? Escher's title is a joke. Explain the joke.
3. Here is a rendition of a possible side view of Three Spheres I (not done by Escher!).
   
   Do you agree with this rendition? Why or why not? Can you think of another rendition / interpretation?
4. Compare Three Spheres I with Doric Columns (Magic pg. 168) and Dragon. Write a short paragraph explaining how they are similar and, if applicable, how they are different.
5. René Magritte was a Belgian artist and a contemporary of Escher's. Look at:
   • The Treachery of Images
   • The Human Condition
   • Time Transfixed
   • Carte Blanche
   (you can see more of Magritte at the Magritte Foundation.)
   a. List some of the similarities between Magritte's work and Escher's prints from problem 1.
   b. Compare Magritte's work with Escher's Still Life with Mirror and Still Life and Street.

Handin: A sheet with answers to all questions.