Mind-Bending Visuals

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.