Artists

Charles Marks

Student

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

cmarks@oberlin.edu

Statement

This past summer I did a 1000-piece puzzle of an M.C. Escher sketch without knowing what the sketch looked like. I spent months trying to put together pieces that looked like perfect fits and being unable to understand why the pieces that did fit together formed impossible shapes. When the puzzle was finally complete I was amazed with the drawing itself. It was so difficult to put the puzzle together, even more difficult to comprehend the drawing itself, but I realized the amazing thing was M.C. Escher was able to create an impossible image that seemingly mirrored reality. It took me three months to put that puzzle together, but the challenge immediately presented itself: I wanted to create impossible images that mirror some sort of reality. I do not consider myself an artist but I have spent countless hours creating impossible figures and if any of these figures can make you think for just a little bit, that would be really great.

Artworks

Image for entry 'Cat's Cradle'

Cat's Cradle

17 in x 14 in

Pencil

2012

This is an overhead view of a tall structure with a spiraling and weaving walkway at the very top. The walkway is formed by 7 connecting blivets. Can you follow the path? Can you find the structures tallest point? Can you tell which paths are higher than which other paths?