Want to cross a rickety bridge over a waterfall? Sit in the shadow of a huge giraffe? Let a you-sized butterfly rest on your finger? Then 3D trick art is the art for you. Go ahead; walk up to a piece of 3D artwork. You won’t believe your eyes. At least, you shouldn’t.
The exhibits in a new 3D museum in Hong Kong seem to be coming at you. Really the artworks are 2D, two dimensional—they exist on a single plane. They’re flat and they’re staying in one place. With a little imagination, though, you could see them differently. You could swing from Hong Kong's buildings like Spiderman. You could pet pandas. You could even play chess with an ancient Chinese character.
Trick artists work with optical illusions. Optical illusions use light, patterns, and color. Those send messages to your eyes. Your brain decides what the messages mean, but your brain can be tricked by the clever use of those visual elements.
Your brain uses experience to interpret the information it is being given. For example, your brain is used to the idea that objects cast shadows. It isn’t expecting a shadow to be just gray paint on a flat wall. With an optical illusion, your brain’s interpretation doesn’t match reality. The brain and the eye are still working according to God’s design—but in a surprising and exciting way!
