Whether on a computer screen or piece of paper, optical illusions are fascinating. They’re an intriguing demonstration of how our brain processes information from our senses in order to create a perception of reality.
All of these elements are optical illusions. Humans constantly detect the light, color and distance.
What is an Optical Illusion?
When an image irritates your brain and eyes it’s known as an optical illusion. In a fraction of a second, your visual system transmits hundreds of images to your brain. The brain is able to organize the information it receives by drawing boundaries, analyzing contrasting areas as well as sorting colors, and making guesses, based on previous experiences, what it’s supposed to see.
Sometimes, it is a mistake. Optic illusions aren’t the result of an issue with the brain or eyes it’s just a disagreement between the two regarding what’s being observed. Other senses also can experience similar visual illusions. If you’ve got a spider crawling up your arms, it could appear to be going downwards.
There are three kinds of optical illusions: literal, physical and cognitive. The physiological illusions seem to be moving but are in fact still images. These are caused by over stimulation of the brain’s senses when they attempt to discern motion from a photograph which isn’t. They can be caused by the Ponzo Illusion where two lines appear to be of different lengths.
Advertisement made using optical illusions – visual
Optical illusions can be found in museums, psychology classes and even by your hippie pal with posters on his walls. However, you might not have believed that they could also be used for advertising. But they can be incredibly effective in grabbing the attention of people and generating a sense motion, or in certain instances, crinkly eyes.
The popular lingerie brand Jane Pain recently launched a campaign featuring optical illusions made of busts and bums covering their products. But, if you look carefully, you’ll realize that the body parts not dressed are actually knees and elbows.
The Kit Kat truck is another amazing optical illusion that is used in commercials. It creates the illusion like the driver has a seat in a hammock, instead of moving. This illusion is a great method to draw attention of people and make them want to stop for breaks by consuming an Kit Kat. It also uses the perceptual set and priming technique to create a positive connection with the brand.
Artistic Optic Illusions
Optical illusions are a popular component of modern art, with works like Bridget Riley’s swirls of spots and stripes and MC Escher’s ever-ending staircase as well as the Penrose triangle being well-known examples. However, optical illusions have been an integral strand in art from the Renaissance in which artists employed linear perspective as well as the camera obscura to create incredible illusions of depth and space.
Op art, which is usually geometric, is non-representational. It utilizes lines forms, shapes, and blocks of colors to create the illusion of movement, hidden pictures, or stretching or warping. Its popularity first began in the 1960s, with the work of Victor Vasarely and the 1965 exhibition The Responsive Eye, which gave the movement a greater exposure to the public.
Joseph Albers, influenced by the Op Art movement explored the ways in which colors interacted and influenced each other. In his Homage to the Square paintings, Albers layers colored squares over one another to explore the ways that different colors influence our perception of form and depth.
Optical illusions in music
The latest optical illusion doing the around is one that’s musical. It’s a format of musical notes all identical. When they are played back on a piano they create the impression of lyrics to a song, however, there is none!
These nifty illusions illustrate how the brain utilizes information from your senses to build a mental picture of your environment. Our minds are extremely powerful and can be incredibly powerful, whether that happens through natural or deliberate.
Artists like Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely and Jesus Rafael Soto experimented with illusionary effects in their artwork. Soto created immersive art installations that blurred the distinction between viewers and artists, inviting them interact with his artwork.