Light Science pp 357-390 | Cite as
Visual Perception, Illusions, and the Arts
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Abstract
To visually perceive a work of art, or for that matter any object, the brain needs information. This information enters the eye in the form of light. The eye’s optical system focuses this light, producing images of objects in our environment on the retina. Receptors in the retina convert light into electrical impulses that are carried to the brain along neural pathways. Perception of the external world occurs when electrical signals are processed in the brain. In the end, it’s the brain’s business to make sense of sensation.
Notes
Glossary of Terms
A spatial configuration designed to suggest a distance or depth longer than the actual one.
The depth cue that allows us to judge the distance of an object by the appearance of its color.
A picture that may be interpreted in two or more equally valid ways.
The use of light and shadow in painting.
A visual illusion that arises from information-processing mechanisms within the brain.
A visual illusion in which lines or figures appear distorted due to context.
An illusion in which two aspects of a drawing, both of equal stature, vie for attention.
Figures that lack internal consistency and do not represent actual physical objects.
Visual information that allows a person with one eye to perceive depth. Artists frequently use monocular cues to convey depth in drawing or painting.
A system for representing three-dimensional objects and space on a two-dimensional surface.
A visual illusion that results from physical phenomena outside the body.
A visual illusion that is caused by the functioning of our visual sensory apparatus.
The tendency to see the size of objects remaining constant as they move closer or farther away.
The ability of both eyes to see the same object as one image, resulting in a perception of depth.
A style of painting in which objects are depicted with photographically realistic detail.
Two different views of the same scene resulting from binocular vision.
A situation in which visual perception leads to incorrect interpretation of reality.
Further Reading
- Cole, K. C. (1978). Vision in the Eye of the Beholder. San Francisco, CA: Exploratorium.Google Scholar
- Goldstein, E. B. (1989). Sensation and Perception. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.Google Scholar
- Gregory, R. L. (1970). The Intelligent Eye. New York: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
- Levine, M. W., & Shefner, J. M. (1991). Fundamentals of Sensation and Perception. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.Google Scholar
- Luckiesh, M. (1965). Visual Illusions. New York: Dover Publications.Google Scholar
- Rodgers, B. (2017). Perception: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
- Snowden, R., Thompson, P., & Troscianko, T. (2012) Basic Vision: An Introduction to Visual Perception (Revised Edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
- Solso, R. L. (1996). Cognition and the Visual Arts. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.Google Scholar