What do you think of modern, cutting-edge, sci-fi artwork? Of how contemporary artists push the human form into almost mechanistic representations?
Like this, for example:
Bizzarie di Varie Figure - 1624
Braccelli, Giovanni Battista - author
Yes, that's the year 1624; the publication date of the book at Rare Book Room:
The "Rare Book Room" site has been constructed as an educational site intended to allow the visitor to examine and read some of the great books of the world . . .
This site contains all of the books (about 400) that have been digitized to date. These range over a wide variety of topics and rarity. The books are presented so that the viewer can examine all the pages in medium to medium-high resolution.
There is something to delight everyone here; give yourself time to peruse the stacks.
[Thanks to Peter Ciccariello for the pointer.]
Next, look carefully at this magical image from the odd neighbor:
Hints: it's called camouflage, and tagged with birds and cats. Click the image to see it bigger at her site. Finally, which direction is the dancer spinning?
Clockwise? Counter-clockwise? Can you make her change direction? What does it mean?
Left-brain? Right-brain?
Brainless?
Click to go to the Herald Sun article and extensive & contentious discussion.
[This is one of those times I'm unsure of the right & legal way to link. I could, of course, send you there without showing you the image. But you're far more likely to click through once you see it -- aren't you?]
This one is thanks to randa clay design.
Edited to add: Just after posting, I discovered this discussion on optical illusions at the flickr Utata group, which starts off with the dancer and includes links to other interesting mind-bending images. And this is by far the most interesting discussion...
Oh, yes -- I meant to tell you -- she spins in both directions for me. Easily.
I just shift my eyes to the side.
I didn't read through the comments past the front page, so I don't know if that's the trick -- I should go back and check.
Or you could, and come back here and tell us.



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Goodness. I eventually figured out it was anti-clockwize but I personally am an anti-math, logic, and reasoning person. My husband sees it going both ways.
Posted by: Mage Bailey | 24 October 2007 at 04:06 PM
This was an interesting post. I added you to my daily reads and had something to day about the twirling dancer. BTW I only see her clockwise.
Posted by: Cynthia Bagley | 24 October 2007 at 04:54 PM
I can NOT get her to spin counter-clockwise! Very frustrating.
Posted by: Dave | 24 October 2007 at 09:13 PM
Try sliding your eyes to the side. For me, sliding them to the left switches her to counter- clockwise.
It is challenging, isn't it? I can feel the shift, somewhere -- in my brain? -- it's a physical thing...
Posted by: SB | 24 October 2007 at 09:20 PM
finally, i can see her spinning both ways. but i can't get her to spin back and forth at will, so i will be back until i can!
Posted by: animalfamily | 25 October 2007 at 02:16 PM
She was going either way quite a bit but I could not "control" this dancer. I got her to spin 100-plus clockwise just by staring at her boobs and no surprise here, when i started to look or think about other things she went back and forth again. Maybe it is as simple being a gemini ;-)
Funny timing. I was just given an optical illusion book yesterday!
Posted by: PetMono | 25 October 2007 at 04:04 PM
for hours i could only get her to spin clockwise...then for a short while yesterday, she spun the other way...but i can't get it back...it's clockwise.
waaaaaaa.
and thank you for including my cammie cat.
Posted by: catnapping | 25 October 2007 at 04:55 PM
dude. this stuff is retarded
Posted by: skytzo ninja | 15 November 2007 at 01:22 PM