Marcella Giulia Lorenzi

Statement

An impossible object (or figure or world) is a type of optical illusion. It consists of a two-dimensional figure which is instantly and subconsciously interpreted by the visual system as representing a projection of a three-dimensional object. In most cases the impossibility becomes apparent after viewing the figure for a few seconds. Although possible to represent in two dimensions, it is not geometrically possible for such an object to exist in the physical world. The artist M. C. Escher created mathematically challenging artworks, creating impossible figures, spaces and worlds. His drawings caught the eyes and looked possible by perception, but were mathematically impossible. Dedicated to the memory of Prof. Mauro Francaviglia.

Artworks

This artwork was inspired by the theme of an art exhibit I participated to, "Man in the maze of life". In Paris I took many pictures of the World Heritage Center, Palais de l'UNESCO. The main building, designed by the architects B. Zehrfuss, M. Breuer and P. L. Nervi, consists of seven floors forming a three-pointed star. My digital composition of photos is an impossibile world inspired by the artwork of M. C. Escher "Ascending and Descending" 1960. The "continuous staircase" was first presented in an article by L. and R. Penrose in 1959: "Each part of the structure is acceptable but the connexions are such that the picture, as a whole, is inconsistent". Using B&W different dimensions make the mathematically impossible seem possible.