Curious Perspective: Anamorphosis in Art
Speakers and the lectures covered in the day are as follows:
Louise Govier
The iconic portrait of "The Ambassadors" by Hans Holbein and its anamorphic skull
Hans Holbein's "The Ambassadors" is an iconic painting, full of symbolism. The anamorphic skull in the foreground is possibly the best known anamorphic image in the world. Govier will set the tone for the day by talking about the painting and the relevance of the skull.
Dr J V Field
The origins of anamorphosis in Piero della Francesca and Leonardo da Vinci
Early explorations of perspective by Piero and Leonardo produced images which can be considered as the first anamorphoses.
How to create an anamorphosis - and how not to
John Sharp, Visiting Fellow London Knowledge Lab
There are many types of anamorphosis and many explanations for their constructions. Sharp will try to show what you can and cannot do to create the images.
Jean-Francois Niceron – an almost forgotten mathematical and artistic genius.
James Hunt, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Guelph, Canada
A tragically curtailed life probably denied us many interesting and important works; he wrote a book La Perspective curieuse, however, that has defined anamorphic art for the last 450 years.
Anamorphosis in Holland in the 17th Century: Van Hoogstraten, Fabritius and Vermeer
Philip Steadman, Professor of Urban and Built Form Studies, University College London; author of Vermeer's Camera (2001)
Anamorphosis had a revival in the seventeenth century with the study of optics and vision. The National Gallery's has two prime examples, a peepshow box and an unusual view of Delft.
Patrick Hughes on his pictures in reverspective
Patrick Hughes, artist
Hughes has been making art in reverse perspective since 1963/4. An accessible example is his painting Paradoxymoron (1996) in the basement of the British Library in Kings Cross. His last exhibition was at Flowers East, Kingsland Road, E2 in October 2008. Left to Write , his collected writings, has been published recently.
Study Day
Curious Perspective: Anamorphosis in art
Saturday 13 December 10.30am - 4 pm, Sainsbury Wing Theatre
£20/£17 Concessions