Walls that are floors, floors that are walls, and stairs that go up to go down: in the brain-befuddling art of MC Escher (1898-1972) the mundane everyday meets a world of paradox in which the rules of gravity, space and material reality are thrown into disarray. From his fantastical architectural spaces with flights of stairs that lead nowhere, to dazzling tessellations that fade into infinity, Escher is synonymous with queasy optical illusions that fascinate and nauseate in equal measure.
Astonishingly popular, the art of Escher is some of the most widely recognised and well-loved ever made, attracting a considerable following during the 1960s due to its psychedelic qualities. His impossible objects, geometric patterns and representations of infinity have been a source of inspiration for mathematicians, with mathematical ideas at the heart of many of his works. It is this mainstream popularity combined with Escher's association with fantasy and visual trickery that has undermined his reputation as an artist however, and his qualities as a draughtsman have been largely overlooked.
This retrospective at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, which brings together over 100 prints, drawings and paintings, attempts to rehabilitate Escher’s reputation as a 20th century artist of real significance.
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