M.C. Escher’s Legacy: A Centennial Celebration PDF
Preview M.C. Escher’s Legacy: A Centennial Celebration
M.C.Escher’s Legacy A Centennial Celebration · Doris Schattschneider Michele Emmer (Editors) M.C. Escher’s Legacy A Centennial Celebration Collection of articles coming from the M.C.Escher Centennial Conference,Rome 1998 1 23 Editors: Doris Schattschneider Michele Emmer Moravian College University ofRome Department ofMathematics La Sapienza 1200 Main Street 5,Piazzale Aldo Moro Bethlehem,PA 18018-6650,USA 00139 Rome,Italy e-mail:[email protected] e-mail:[email protected] The first printing ofthis book appeared as hardcover edition,ISBN 3-540-42458-X. 1st edition 2003,2nd printing 2005 Library ofCongress Control Number:2005928381 All M.C.Escher’s works @ 2002 Gordon Art B.V.,Baarn,The Netherlands. All rights reserved. A complete list ofEscher’s works reproduced in this volume is given on pp.456–458. ISBN-10 3-540-20100-9 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York ISBN-13 978-3-540-20100-7 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York This work is subject to copyright.All rights are reserved,whether the whole or part ofthe material is concerned,specifically the rights oftranslation,reprinting,reuse ofillustrations,recitation,broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way,and storage in data banks.Duplication ofthis publication or parts thereofis permitted only under the provisions ofthe German Copyright Law ofSeptember 9,1965, in its current version,and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer.Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Springer is a part ofSpringer Science+Business Media springeronline.com © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003 Printed in Germany The use ofgeneral descriptive names,registered names,trademarks,etc.in this publication does not imply, even in the absence ofa specific statement,that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design:design & production GmbH,Heidelberg Typesetting:LeTeX Jelonek,Schmidt & Vöckler GbR,Leipzig Printed on acid-free paper 46/3142ck – 5 4 3 2 1 0 To Valeria Erwartung,,, Erwartung CelebratingEscher DorisSchattschneider Theyear1998sawmanycentennialcelebrationsoftheDutchgraphicartist M.C.Escher(1898-1972). Oneofthese,aninternationalcongressheldinJune ofthatyearinRomeandRavello,broughttogetherawidearrayofofpeoplewho notonlyappreciateEscher’swork,butgivetestimonytohislastinglegacyinart, science,andeducation. Shortlybeforethecongress,areviewbyaNewYorkTimesartcritichadpro- claimedEscher“Justanonartistintheartworld.”Ifindthe“artworld”afunny place–itoftenseemsthatifanartist’sworkispopularwiththepublic,thenit mustfollowthattheworkis“nonart.”The1998exhibition“M.C.Escher:ACen- tennial Tribute” held at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. drew recordcrowds–364,000peoplevisitedtheexhibit,morethanforanyotherprint show.Perhapsforthe“artworld,”Escher’sartisanacquiredtaste.Inretrospect, theofficialcriticsmaycometoseeandunderstandthewonderfulqualitiesinhis workthathavemadeitendure.C.V.S.Roosevelt,anavidadmirerandcollector ofEscher’sworkonceremarked,“Whenanartcriticpetulantlystampshisfoot and remarks he quite despises Escher, one is reminded of the cartoon caption: ‘Theretheygo!Imusthurryafterthem,forIamtheirleader’.” WhatdrawspeopletoEscher’swork?Icanonlyhazardapersonalandvery incomplete answer to that question. I believe the qualities that make Escher’s worksoappealingarealsotheonesthatinspireandchallengeothers.Escherwas anacuteobserver,athinker,ameticulouscraftsman,whoseprintsevokeadmira- tionandwonderment.“Cool!”(ratherthan“Beautiful!”)isanoft-heardremark atEscherexhibitions. Theconstantchallengeoftheartististocreateartifice.Eschercreatedsome highly original artifices that tease and enchant. In trying to place him in the spectrumof20thcenturyart,hisworkdefiescategorization.Rooseveltobserved: Regardless of what the world thought of him, Escher imperturbably always went his own way. He reminds us of a modern alchemist inge- niously and fanatically experimentingwithhis magicballs and mirrors, animalsandbooks,hismagicspellsandmagicconcepts.Awonderfully VI D.Schattschneider obstinatefigure,nowartist,nowthinker,philosopher,andshaman,Escher ∗ insisted,“Allmyworksaregames,seriousgames.” Escher loved to challenge our eyesand understanding by tweaking the cer- taintiesofthe“laws”thatweexpecttobeobeyed.Byworkingintheplane,he could confound our perception of what is two-dimensional and what is three- dimensional.Notonlydoeshemakeuswonderatwhatpointdoesonedimension transformintothenext,buthehasusask“whatisfigure?whatisground?”His deviceofusinginterlockingshapes,eachshaperecognizableonitsown,yeteach interchangeable in the role of figure or ground, is one of his trademarks. Few artistshavebeenasfascinatedbytessellationasEscherwas.Forhim,“regular division”wasnotanendinitself,butratheradevicetoexpresstheideaofduality (contrastingopposites),andmetamorphosis. Escher used geometry masterfully in his works. His early scenes of Italian villagesclingingtosteepmountainsideswithvalleyssweepingoutbelowseem carefully sculpted from geometric forms. His later works celebrate polyhedra, spheres,knots,andMöbiusbands.Geometryworksmagicinhisprints–classi- calEuclideangeometry,sphericalgeometry,projectivegeometry,transformation geometry,hyperbolicgeometry,andself-similarityallareskillfullyemployedto achieveintricate andsurprising visual effects.Not only washe a masterof the craftofgraphicart,hewasalso(despitehisdenials)anoriginalresearcherinthe realmofscienceandmathematics. Escherhasleftusarichlegacyinhiswork. ThisbookandCDRomcontinuethe1998celebrationofEscher’slegacy.The section“Escher’sWorld”containsessaysthatgivedeeplypersonalreflectionson Escher’sworkandstoriesofthosewhohaveliterallywalkedsomeofthepaths troddenbyEscher. It is often said that Escher belonged to no “school” of art and founded no “movement,” and so it is assumed that there are no contemporary artists who continue to explore and express in manners directly inspired by his work. In the section “Escher’s Artistic Legacy,” the large number of artists who speak hereanddisplaytheirworkshowthatassumptionisclearlyfalse.Escher’swork plantedseedsinthemindsoftheseartists,seedsthathavebornefruitthatisinge- niousandoriginal,someemployinghiscarefulgraphictechniques,othersusing moremodernmedia,includingdigitalart.They,likeEscher,playwithillusion, withperspectiveandprojections,withconstructions(bothrealandimpossible), withmirrors,withsymmetryanddivisionoftheplane,andwithmetamorphosis. They,too,usegeometrymasterfully,inspiredbyEscher,yetareguidedbyideas thatarewhollytheirown. Scientists and educators have drawn inspiration from Escher—his works have provided visual metaphors for their theories, raised new questions about ∗ From the catalog of the exhibition “A Mathematician Views Escher”, Moravian College,April1987. CelebratingEscher VII their assumptions, suggested new problems to investigate, and provided en- joyable explorations for students of all ages. The section “Escher’s Scientific and Educational Legacy” contains a variety of essays by scientists (of many disciplines) and educators, a testimony to the enduring influence of Escher’s work. TheCDRomisanextensionofthebook.Itcontainscolorversionsofmany of the art works that are shown in the book in black and white, as well as additionalworkbytheartists.Itgivesvignettesoftheconferenceandthebreath- takingbeautyoftheRavellosetting.Italsoaffordsamediumbeyondprint:there areanimations,shortvideos,andinteractivepuzzles. Editingthisbookhasbeenapleasurablechallenge.Theauthorscomefrom elevendifferentcountries,withmanylanguagesandwithamyriadofdifferent computerprogramsthatencodewordandpicture.YetIhavereceivedwonderful cooperation from all, and thanks to email, zip disks, and CD Roms, they were able to quickly respond to the many requests to put this all together. I want to thankMoravianCollegeforitssupportofmyeditorialwork,makingavailable tomethenecessarytechnologyandtechnologicalhelp.MicheleEmmerandIare gratefulfortheencouragementandcooperationofSpringer-Verlag,Heidelberg, inmakingthisbookandCDRomareality. Bethlehem,August2001 Escher,inRome,Again MicheleEmmer Why a conference and an exhibition dedicated to the works of Mau- rits Cornelis Escher? Escher had a very strange destiny. His works are probably among the best known in the world. But perhaps his great successandthedispersionofhisworkallovertheworldarereasonswhy his work as a graphic artist is not investigated seriously and not well- considered by historians of art. This is one of the reasons why the idea oforganizingaconferenceandanexhibitionofEscher’sworkwastaken up by aMathematics Department, the Mathematics Department of the UniversityofRome“LaSapienza.” Among the most popular ideas of our time are multimedia presenta- tionsandinterdisciplinarity,includingtherelationshipsbetweenartand science. Escher, for a great part of his artistic life, was an “attractor” andproducedconnectionsamongmathematicians,physicists,crystallo- graphers,andexpertsinvisualperception.Itiswellknownthathisfirst important exhibition was mounted during the International Congress of MathematiciansinAmsterdamin1954. Sohereisaconferencedesignedformanytodiscusssymmetry,visual perception,computergraphics,architecture,historyofart,mathematics, andpsychology,alwayshavingEscherasastartingpoint.Thefactthatso manypeoplefromdifferentcountriesandfromdifferentdisciplineswish toparticipateinthisconferenceisthemainreasonforitsorganization. TheaboveparagraphsarenotmyopeningtotheEscherCentennialcongress heldinRomein1998,butrathertheyaretakenfromtheintroductionIwrotefor thecatalogoftheexhibitionofEscher’sworkheldattheDutchInstituteinRome inMarch1985. Thatexhibition tookplaceduringthe lastinternational confer- ence on Escher, with lectures in the same “Aula Magna” at the University of Rome“LaSapienza”14yearsago.ThetitleofthatconferencewasM.C.Escher: ArtandScience[1].The6000copiesofthecatalogoftheexhibition[2]soldout inthreeweeks. Icanusethesamewordstowritethisintroductiontotheproceedingsofthe 1998congressbecausenowthefascinationwiththeworkofEscherisperhaps evengreaterthan14yearsago,eventhoughmuchoftheworldhascompletely changed.In1985therewastheSovietUnionandthewallinBerlin.Iwasvery sorrythatprofessorVladimirKoptsikfromMoscowStateUniversity,whowas an invited speaker for the 1998 congress, at the last moment was not able to attend.Irememberverywell(andperhapsotherswhowereatthepreviouscon- ferencewillalsoremember),thatduringtheconferencein1985theRedBrigades killed a professor from our university, professor Tarantelli. The world is really differentnow,butinterestinEscherisstillaliveandunchanged. X M.Emmer This special congress to celebrate the centennial of Escher’s birth was also organized in Rome This is fitting since Escher was in Italy and lived in Rome formanyyears;forthesamereasonasessionofthecongresswasorganizedin Ravello,ontheAmalficoast.Andalast,butnotleastreason:myfamilyname EmmerisoriginallyDutchandverysimilarto“Escher.” The1998congressdifferedfromthe1985oneinseveralrespects.Therewere manynewfaces,includingseveralcontemporaryartists,aswellassomefamiliar participants.Someparticipantsatthepreviousconferencewerenotabletoattend thisone,inparticular,myco-editorsofthe1985Proceedings:H.S.M.(Donald) Coxeter,MarianneTeuber,andSirRogerPenrose[1].Anotherdifferenceisthat in 1985, Johannes Offerhaus, the energetic and enthusiastic director the Dutch Institute,arrangedfortheEscherexhibitiontobeheldthereandTheQueenof Hollandcametoopentheexhibition.Unfortunately,Offerhausdiedafewyears ago. This time the Dutch Embassy and the Dutch Institute in Rome had no in- terest in supporting an exhibition. (Ironically, the cultural attache´ of the Dutch Embassy,answeringmyletterof1996askingiftherewouldbeinterestinspon- soringanewexhibition,answeredthatanexhibitionwasheldin1985–ofcourse hedidnotknowIwastheorganizer.) This time the M.C.Escher Foundation gave us wonderful support for the art exhibitions in Rome and in Ravello. I want to thank them for their encour- agementandcooperationineveryaspectofthecongress,andtheirenthusiastic attendance at the sessions. In 1998 we had a private three-day exhibition at theMuseoLaboratoriodiArteContemporaneaoftheUniversityofRome“La Sapienza,”heldduringthecongress.Here,alongwithmanyofEscher’sprints, theworkofcontemporaryartistsfrommanycountrieswasshown,inanHomage to Escher [3]. (The exhibit was held despite many difficulties of importing the worksofartfortheshow,thankstotherulesoftheItalianandotherEuropean Customs). The exhibit in Ravello featured almost exclusively the little-known printsofEscher’sbelovedItalianscenes.Itsopeningreceptionwasaspecialpart ofthecongress sessioninRavello,andwasopentothepublic for anextended period.Twodifferentcatalogswereprinted;oneforeachexhibitioninRomeand inRavello[4]. I want to thank many people who helped with the hundreds of details of organizationofthiscongress: FirstofallDorisSchattschneider.Shefirstpresentedtheresultsofherstudy onthesymmetrynotebooksofEscheratthepreviouscongress;afewyearslater shepublished thebook VisionsofSymmetry[5].Without herhandling theper- sonalcontactswithallthespeakers,exhibitors, andparticipants,itwouldhave beenimpossibletoorganizethecongress. My colleagues Valentina Barucci and Stefania Gabelli for organizing the Rome exhibition and its catalog. Alessandra Seghini, the director of the com- putersciencelabofmydepartment,AlessandroFranchithecomputertechnician, and Angelo Bardelloni of our library: they solved many seemingly impossible technical problems. The electricians of the Aula Magna, the private cops, the staffofLatourcatering.Micheledell’Aquilaforthecongresswebsite,Matteo
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