Discussing metapictures in class last week was definitely one of the most interacting sessions so far. Once the definition of a metapicture was given (a picture about a picture), I immediately thought of this drawing:

While researching, I learned that this is a drawing by M.C. Escher. In my opinion, this is a great example of a picture about a picture. In a very literal depiction, the picture is creating itself: one hand draws the other... yet it makes one question: Which hand drew the other? It's a very intriguing work. Upon further research, I realized that I had briefly studied M.C. Escher before in my Introduction to Theatre Design class (I clearly didn't pay attention to names that day). The picture I studied was the following:

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In class on Thursday Oct. 8th, we had an in-depth conversation on the idea of meta-images and what they can mean to the viewer, illustrator, etc.. "Meta" is a prefix that can be attached to any number of words, which suggests to itself and the conventions of its genre. These "metapictures" do not only refer back to the fact that they, themselves, are pictures, they also allow the viewer to play a sort of game with the image and further interact with its components. I have always been a huge fan of optical illusions. These mesmerizing representations of what is and what is not really there are able to capture the attention of any individual who has enough patience to truly dissect its elements. Above all, however, optical illusions are designed to make the observer think about what they are looking at. Then, when you really think you've solved this visual puzzle, the pictures does a complete 180 and you find yourself lost again in the perplexing image. M.C. Escher may be one of the most famous artists who is able to successfully convey such ambiguity through contorted perspectives and creative uses of light and shadow.

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