ELLICE: M.C. Escher (1930-40's)

M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher) was a Dutch graphic artist known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints which feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, and architecture.
Escher, during his lifetime, made 448 lithographs, woodcuts and wood engravings and over 2000 drawings and sketches and apart from being a graphic artist Escher illustrated books, designed tapestries, postage stamps and murals.

Lithography is a method for printing on a smooth surface. It can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or another suitable material. Modern high-volume lithography is used to produce posters, books, newspapers, and packaging (includes just about any smooth, mass-produced item with print on it.)

Escher’s artistic expression was created from images in his mind rather than directly from observations and travels to other countries.
In his graphic art, he portrayed mathematical relationships among shapes, figures and space featuring irregular perspectives. Additionally, he explored interlocking figures using black and white to enhance different dimensions. Integrated into his prints were mirror images of cones, spheres, cubes, rings, and spirals.
Esher created an artwork called Ascending and Descending, in which lines of people ascend and descend stairs in an infinite loop. They are on a construction which is impossible to build and possible to draw only by taking advantage of quirks of perception and perspective.
Escher printed Metamorphosis I in 1937, which was a beginning part of a series of designs that told a story through the use of evolving shapes and pictures. These works demonstrated a combination of Escher’s skills to incorporate mathematics into art.
This is an example of Metamorphosis I. He transformed convex polygons into regular patterns in a plane to form a human motif. This effect symbolizes his change of interest from landscape and nature to regular division of a plane. It was so successful that he went on to create part two and three of this particular artwork.
Another well known example of his work includes ‘Drawing Hands’, a complex artwork in which two hands are shown, each drawing the other.
Eschers method of art features etchings of several patterns and shapes that fade and blend onto one another. It can be said that Escher created another unique dimension of art.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._C._Escher