You won't believe your eyes when you look at these artists' works. Illusionists M.C. Escher, street artist Leon Keer, and others turn optical illusions into art. It takes a second look to see what's really there.
Image: picture-alliance/United Archives/TopFoto
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High Five: 5 artists that make you look twice
M.C. Escher's staircases that lead nowhere and everywhere, or Howard Lee's dinosaurs that jump off the page: These are just some examples of artists who create optical illusions and use them in their art.
Image: DW
Hyperreal drawings by Howard Lee
Which one of these two hot dogs is real? Howard Lee knows how to draw objects with such precision that it's almost impossible to distinguish between the drawing and the real item. He films the process and uploads the video onto Youtube. By now, the British artist has almost 130,000 followers. And just so you know, the hotdog that's real is the one on the left.
Image: DW
A fake sausage by Silvia Wald
It looks as though artist Silvia Wald has a particular passion for meat products. Well, almost. What the staunch vegetarian loves much more than real meat are plush toys or pillows in the shape of sausages, bacon or ground meat. Her Berlin "butcher's shop" offers more than 40 such artworks, such as the sausage neck pillow or the chicken leg cuddle pillow.
Image: DW
Architectural illusions by Alex Chinneck
This artwork shows the entrance area of the London's shopping square Covent Garden as though it had broken in the middle into two parts. The installation, created by British artist Alex Chinnek in 2014, is held together by a cleverly devised steel construction. The artist uses his art to speak to people who don't usually visit museums.
Image: Rob Stothard/Getty Images
3-D street art by Leon Keer
Dutch artist Leon Keer has an unusual talent for working with different perspectives. He creates fascinating three-dimensional paintings on streets. He first designs the pictures on his computer before transferring them onto the ground. As is the case with all 3-D paintings, the three-dimensional effect only works if you look at the picture from one particular spot.
Image: DW
Body illusions by Mirjana Milosevic
These optical illusions have been created by using precise body painting and a black background. Mirjana Milosevic, called Kiki, transforms herself and others into body paintings. It's not an easy task for the makeup artist. During the process she can't breathe. Otherwise, the painting becomes blurred. The Serbian artist presents the process of transformation on Youtube and Instagram.
Image: Mirjana Kika Milosevic
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One of the most famous artists who included optical illusions in his works was Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher. His paintings, said to be "impossible," have achieved cult status. There show stairs that start and end nowhere; a river that flows both upwards and downwards at once; and hands that are painting one other.
M.C. Escher's paintings have fascinated mathematicians and artists alike. They decorate the covers of scientific publications, books on mathematics and records. Even Mick Jagger is said to have personally asked the artist to produce an album cover for him. Escher politely declined. Some of his works were then published without his agreement.
Howard Lee's optical illusions
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The sheer click numbers of British Youtube sensation Howard Lee show how much people are fascinated by visual illusions. He regularly uploads videos showing objects he rendered so realistically that it's hard to distinguish the drawings from the real thing. Lee loves to confuse his viewers with his videos, some of which have gained more than two million views.
But Howard Lee is not the only artist to stir attention with his optical illusions. In our High Five ranking, we present other artists like him.
