Sphere Spirals 1958

M.C. Escher made this geometrical drawing with ink and graphite, but who knows when? Doesn't it make you dizzy looking at it? I can imagine Escher at his desk, plotting and planning, trying to figure out how to trick our eyes. He probably felt like he was walking a tightrope between math and magic, and it's clear he likes to play with warm yellows and pinks, set against a solid grid. I wonder if he ever got frustrated, or if he just kept going, step by step, until he nailed it. His art reminds me of the pattern paintings of Jennifer Bartlett; it's like they're both trying to map out all the possibilities of seeing. It’s like he’s saying, hey, let’s question what’s real, and what’s just an illusion. That's the beauty of art, right? Always questioning, always exploring.