Sunday, September 28, 2008

Trompe D'Oeil

There are many artists who do trompe d'oeil (French for trick the eye) work, making you "see" something that is not at all what your eyes tell you. My favorite trompe d'oeil artist is Craig Tracy who does his work on human bodies, making them look like animals; but there is also Colette, who makes cakes that look like purses and sculptures; Michel Richard, who makes "eggs" that are made of yellow tomato puree and mozzarella; and this building in Lyon has an entire wall of windows and people populating it's front face.

We are often "fooled" by our eyes (magicians would not have jobs otherwise). Sometimes being fooled is good for us; we get to experience a new pleasure for our palates, or we awaken from the assumptions we take for granted. We all need to test and taste new ideas. If you do only one thing today, go out and try something new, even if that means looking at something old and known in a new way; trick your eyes to see a new perspective.

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