1/2 The Art of the Impossible: MC Escher and Me - Secret Knowledge

• 1/2 The Art of the Imp...
First broadcast: Sep 2015.
Episode 18/18 World-leading cosmologist Professor Sir Roger Penrose is more than just a fan of MC Escher's mind-bending art. During the course of a long creative collaboration, the British mathematician and the Dutch artist exchanged ideas and inspirations. Some of Escher's most iconic images have their origin in Penrose's mathematical sketches - while the artist's work has served as a starting point for the professor's own explorations of new scientific ideas. To coincide with the first ever Escher retrospective in the UK, Penrose takes us on a personal journey through Escher's greatest masterpieces - marvelling at his intuitive brilliance and the penetrating light it still sheds on complex mathematical concepts.

[@stevenlawson-blight4253]

What is truly bewildering is that his works weren’t drawings but woodcut prints.

[@hydorah]

What an incredible story. Imagine being a person who inspired by Escher went off and made something that inspired Escher

[@elijahclements8646]

The way he say's "what might be possible" rather than "what is possible" really reflects his humility as a scientist, amplifies the idea that we really don't know anything and his language choice shares his humble demeanour despite being one of the great minds in recent history. This openness and awareness that he too knows nothing is probably what led him to his interest in Escher and massively benefited his work in one of the most important Art-Science collaborations ever. Without this humility it's hard to learn from other people, especially an intelligent and established scientist from a relatively unknown artist (at that time)

[@Kazusuii]

Chill

[@Meine.Postma]

"What might be impossible"

[@rbaleksandar]

Escher was truly a genius. Your brain gets turned upside down every time you look at his abstract works.

[@kamelaparis7489]

Literally and figuratively

[@user-wf8eo9xn6y]

While I was reading "The Aleph and other Stories" by Jorge Luis Borges, it happened I looked at the front cover's painting "Other World” by M. C. Escher. I searched for the painting on the internet and here where I landed. Long live Reading, Curiosity & Knowledge.

[@bazmalaza85]

there are no so called "coincidences" in the Youniverse

[@creativestudio101]

Long live Reading, Curiosity & Knowledge indeed.

[@adammurkin7496]

Well this is a delight. I clicked on this thinking I was going to watch an interesting documetary on Escher, instead I get that, plus it is one of the my favourite human beings discussing him. Wonderful.

[@GandhiShelly]

Drawing hands on the back cover of mathematical analysis book is a good introduction to Escher, I just wish there was more of his work in school. To me the beauty is Escher is that he leads the mind to thoughts of integrated subject thinking, a place where most education is found lacking. Maths, arts biology, engineering have been created by humans. Escher's work helps us in understanding that they are all interconnected in ways that we sometimes can't express. Unless of course you are Escher then you can in each drawing.

[@livinginthisgalaxy7961]

Try making something yourself and introduce it in your school...

[@khalil_art]

Art is like a combination of science, philosophy and beauty.

[@steveescher1554]

Agreed. I actually seen his work in almost all of my text books, other than history. No one but me knew who he was though.

[@_bluephoenix_]

What a priviledge and honour to have worked with such an amazing mind. Ive been so encaptured by Eschers work since I was a teen- looking at his work for hours. There is always so much tiny detail you dont notice at first. I cant imagine how a brain that comes up with these visual illusions, works - let alone be skilled enough to transfer that so skillfully! Thank you for such a wonderful video!

[@panographic]

congratulations to Sir Roger Penrose for winning the 2020 Nobel prize in Physics

[@xtop23]

MC Escher is one of my 2 favorite artists of all time. The ability to MAKE you adjust your perception...... MAKE you enter his world..... is unprecedented. Utterly genius.

[@jeffreyjefferson536]

And who's the other? I'm not into art (abstract, cubist or otherwise) much, but Dali immediately comes to mind. And Luis Borges - who in a sense wrote down what Escher drew.

[@xtop23]

@@jeffreyjefferson536 You have excellent divination skills lol. Dali is top 5 for me certainly......... his watercolors he did for Dante are inexplicably ...... wonderfully ....wrought. Number 2 is Gustav Klimt ......"The Embrace"...... devastates me every time I look at it. If you ever have a chance to be in the same room...... properly lit....... with that utter mastery and vibrant majesty...... you will be moved. Number 3 although yes, it's an easy choice and smacks of a pedestrian understanding of art because of the ease with which you can attach to him.........., is Van Gogh. Specifically, "Sunflowers"....... although, "Wheat Field with Cypresses" also floors me.

[@krishnamayimarianni8026]

Who is the other

[@lmercan4809]

You can look at Escher's art and find something new each time!!! I saw these works awhile ago when they were on display in Washington, DC. My other favorite is Vermeer ...said to be an artist who also used maths in his work & again, always see something new each time it's viewed. Excellent video - thank you.😀

[@EleanorPeterson]

Delightful! I did find it necessary, though, to keep pausing, reversing, and rewatching the video in order to study each image more fully. It was only as it began to grow dark outside that I realised I'd been watching a 15 minute film for almost 90 minutes. I think everyone involved would appreciate how a 3-dimensional visual experience had been so effective in distorting my perception of the passage of time.😁

[@bensnide5846]

I love it I love it I absolutely love it. Conversations and ideas like this, I could just listen to these guys talk and watch them doodle infinitely

[@Capochin950]

Excellent film . Very interesting.Very clever work making the “impossible “models.

[@verioffkin]

Simply beautiful.

[@deborahguillory8431]

I recall his work on cover of Southwestern Bell telephone directory. Love his work

[@KenSmith-bv4si]

His art work blew my mind.

[@jayski9410]

Escher's work always reminded me of a paradox I ran into when first learning computer programming. That being that finite decimals we're all used to in the base 10 number system become infinitely repeating "decimals" in base 2 or the binary system that computers use. Leading to unexpected round-off errors especially when dealing with money. And these days I think back to Escher when trying to grasp higher dimensional spaces required by string theory or depictions of hyperbolic spaces.

[@veronicaclarke7499]

My favourite artist!

[@David-xl9cp]

Mind on a completely different level, I have had one of his art books for around 40 years, just amazing 🤩

[@jennief2108]

Superb work as always, thank you ) Jennie

[@ARK842001]

Been studying the fourth dimension for years. This is incredibly helpful.

[@evilseedsgrownaturally1588]

ARK842001 watching youtube videos does not equate to “study”.

[@chompers11]

@@evilseedsgrownaturally1588 lmao yes it does, clown

[@steviegaga]

Extremely interesting and well done. I’ve been into MCE since the 1960’s and he is timeless

[@alancharbonneau4108]

I never knew until this video that Penrose inspired “Ascending and Descending”, one of my favorites by Escher. 😁

[@josephlloyd9636]

I can't wait to see these in person!! 🌻🏆🇺🇸

[@francoantonelli7723]

Well set out and informative…👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Pakunin61]

No hay duda de que estamos ante la obra de un genio. Todas sus creaciones son maravillosas.

[@MichelleAckerStudios]

keep the great videos coming! awesome

[@michaelplathphotography8537]

One of my favourite artists

[@sharonjack7239]

Very interesting video!! Thank you. USA

[@shannonolivas9524]

I like these physical models of Escher's work, me I look at the original works and I say for instance on "Ascending" "oh, that's clever, he just ran this line on the right long here and took advantage of spacing and perspective in 2D art" or "oh, here in Relativity he's taking advantage of our architectural usage of 90 degree angles" In Waterfall he's using the same trick as in "Ascending", but these guys make it work in 3D space, really quite clever.

[@aryehfinklestein9041]

Excellent! thankyou.

[@narang99]

Thank you for creating your channel, it's a great useful resource and education. Your time and effort to put this out is greatly appreciated.

[@taran333tula]

+Gautam Narang ...Thank YOU for your appreciation !

[@natalya9821]

Hello. This story is with exciting twists. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@wmgthilgen]

It was my viewing of the various art by Escher, that caused me to learn how to think out side the box.

[@TheUrantia001]

no pun intended..of course 🙂

[@268gam]

Great documentary

[@1N2themystic]

I love watching a documentary that really catches my attention and inspires me to wonder if I have any creativity in my heart, and right about the time they start getting into the best part of the

[@constructivecapers]

So awesome!

[@mrshumancar]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYGbZ4l_fa2qaJo

[@kareno8634]

Since i was 12 ~ He IS my Favorite ~ MC Escher !

[@willnawke2326]

since i was 11 he was mine, beat that

[@kareno8634]

@@willnawke2326 8 ) nice to know. I could have been 11, it was 6th grade. lol Cheers!

[@tomwells4899]

Amazing pictures full of mystery. I wonder in awe at the possibilities the imagination conjures up of an ever unfurling dawn of revelation. There's always more round the corner, something else to entice you into a never ending dream.

[@ralphaverill2001]

It was nice to hear the piano of Chilly Gonzales' "White Keys" in the opening of the video.

[@patricetan]

Thank you so much for posting this

[@elmedia8692]

Wonderful.

[@jimvandemoter6961]

I never thought of Escher's works in mathematical terms. I'm not a mathematician. The big question was, for me, what kind of mind could even conceive of such ideas? His works still, after decades, fascinate me.

[@kaliensmashingatoms]

I've always had a massive appreciation for MC Escher. But I was glad to find this Little gem of a video that is taken my appreciation to an entirely new level.

[@librem2013]

If anyone has ever played Legend of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy all the way through, you'll find many contemporary artists influenced the creation of the dark world, but mostly Esher. If I remember correctly, each of the some 7 different portals lead to a realm influenced almost entirely by Esher.

[@aorta538]

My favorite top 3 dutch artists... -M.C. Escher -V. van Gogh -P. Mondriaan

[@CEverly]

I was wondering who your favs were. Thanks

[@MGromov1]

Wonderful documentary. Thank you very much.

[@fredricclack7137]

Relativity 1of Favz!

[@johnobrien8398]

Never seen this before excellent

[@eugenio1542]

Extraordinaire ! ☝️❤️🌍

[@muggedinmadrid]

riveting documentary

[@TheFlipped1]

O.o I just found your channel, subscribed right away!

[@AdCreative-ik7dg]

Escher one of my fav ❤

[@Dumptheclutchevo]

imagine being the inspiration for some of the greatest pieces of artwork in the world mind-boggling!

[@TheUrantia001]

he is only a conduit..the art is working through him...

[@Ultra-Luminary]

M. C ESCHER definitely had a very acutely attuned Mind....

[@jmalmsten]

Anyone know of a video showing how prints like these are made? I mean, not just drawings, but the process of the printing. Because, if it is that the artist needs to work in negatives so to speak or something like that, I would be very much fascinated with seeing the process from first marks on the canvas to the final print... :)

[@kevincampbell1395]

Penrose is such a genius

[@elevated8978]

Thank you.

[@RGBS10]

I find his work so very inspiring. It is a stairwell to nowhere and beyond. Is they fish; is they birds??

[@kanabuki7163]

thank you for all the info, quite helpful with reseach and etc. youre quite a useful channel!

[@zorbanongreco]

quite

[@TheRealMACA]

Subbed! Awesome channel, thx!

[@salkinfamilychiropractic3142]

Anybody play "Monument Valley"? love this artists' work and those Penrose stairs!

[@chrisnewman7281]

The idea of force perspective is used a lot in lord of the rings movie where you have large characters and smaller characters and they have to coexist in the same room

[@sparabildsom]

AMAZING!!!!!!!

[@steveescher1554]

All of his descendants ended up with some sort of artistic ability and or geometric abilities. When growing up, I personally drew very similar looking building as he did, without ever seeing his work yet. My family and I seemed to have a natural understanding of perspective and drawing 3-D shapes as well. I def did not inherit his genius though haha Also, the non Escher side of the family could barely draw a stick figure.

[@User0000000000000004]

ok, "steve"

[@steveescher1554]

@@User0000000000000004 Why the strange comment? This video had a lot to do with how he had abilities in certain fields, despite never studying in those fields. So I was pointing out that genetic abilities are real and his ancestors actually picked up on some of those.

[@scatdog1]

This would have been great if you would have given people more than three seconds to visualize his work.

[@gostaknochenhauer3978]

I have always loved Escher's works. Unfortunately, I don't own any of his prints, but I do have a book of his fantastic pictures. This is a wonderful exposé, but the loud and quite unnecessary music overlay should be removed. For some reason, the story ended in the middle of a sentnce. Is there a continuation somwehere?

[@justaguy-69]

i love escher , have many (most) of his prints in reproductions and i'm 80% done building my retirement home in the philippines inspired by him and frank lloyd wright out of concrete. i've never built a house before but spent years doing it in my imagination while driving my 18 wheeler over the road as a truck driver. i kind of overdid it strength wise as far as rebar and concrete composition , but not being a structural engineer i wanted to 'cover my butt' in this regard 😃🤣i plan to laminate and frame all my escher works and hang them throughout my home to enjoy as i grow older.

[@hoastbeef1202]

I also like his song" U Can't Touch This"

[@nualanongjohnson]

That's mc hammers

[@tash_kite]

Wow so cool

[@payntpot7623]

12:30 It does not start off as a still life and suddenly become a street as stated. Clearly it is a group of items on a table by a window pane and looks out and down onto a street scene. It is easy to see what attracted him to the juxtaposition of foreground and background. I have often marveled at similar scenes in my own abodes throughout the years. Items I have on a window sill and look out onto a street scene. If the window frame is not is view, and the glass is clean, there is no beginning or end to the scene. They all have an amazing way of looking at the world.

[@mihai1853]

4:55 when i hear geometrically impossible.. i was tinking about this shape before he drew it

[@evilseedsgrownaturally1588]

Mihai ...You, and everyone else.

[@oliverhardman3513]

I came up with the idea of bottled water too

[@tacticaltwinkies3847]

google drive

[@merlen424]

Ghilly Gonzalles - White Keys 0:00

[@louisjohnson7441]

Genius

[@63artemisia63]

The plants you mention that are unlike any you’ve ever seen are actually marine animals - corals, as in coral reefs!

[@sonnenregen2449]

Thank u

[@redd_frogg9806]

I got a test on this so i decided to rewatch the video on my phone :> it was pretty interesting

[@secretsofix]

I got Homework on this and my teacher give us this link. Idk what Im watching TwT

[@pnutdraws]

05:23 they probably shot that with a lower f stop so the the depth of field is so low that the wood thing behind is more blurry than the one in the front which kinda breaks the illusion , still very cool

[@photobobo]

Why does this video end abruptly?

[@brian5154]

...we pass his house in Arnhem very often....

[@truefiasco2637]

anyone else like the http tessellation in the description? not sure if intentional or not but it's better then having a link to part 2.

[@M.C.Escher2018]

Do Black Holes recyle space time and debis? Could it be possible that black holes indirectly explain an expanding universe? Was there ever a "Big bang"?

[@evilseedsgrownaturally1588]

M.C. Escher That’s really deep, bro.

[@nixl3518]

Why is this clip, clipped short of it’s true length?

[@temporoboto]

💙

[@lee-lemon]

6:38 "Again it's a one eye only job." "Well, one eye of mine works better then the other." :D

[@flyinghorseknuckles]

I had no idea that Escher had been inspired by Penrose's works! That is apparent from my very naïve attempt at a documentary on Escher that I had made in college ages ago when I was 25. If you are curious, you can view it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rmrSh2akeduin9E

[@paulferguson1240]

Three Guitars - Escher Style. Photographic Print: www.redbubble.com/people/jamthetreble/works/39729584-three-guitars-escher-style?p=photographic-print&ref=similar_products

[@marcussparticus8380]

Informative but ends to soon, what happened to the rest of the documentary.

[@RichardLaurence]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3S8o3qmmZ2ea9k

[@taran333tula]

Playlist : kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGjOiGuumZ2jatU

[@ThePolistiren]

+Art Documentaries Could've swore you were terminated. Welcome back!

[@taran333tula]

+Turtoi Radu Luckily not yet (°V°) thanks !

[@woodywoodturning]

M .C Escher his work was ment for the people not the well spoke rich of the world. After all he was a honest individual.

[@nicovanderwolk]

Relativity actual can be built. I did it. It's about 20 x 20 x 20 cm.

[@JornSilverblade]

10:44 These plants are actually oversized lichens 🙂

[@vilkomen]

Wish the would stop up a bit so the whole impossible shape would be in focus. Gives away the illusion if some of it is out of focus.

[@dawnrobinson858]

Wouldn't the up and down concept be themselves and their reflection? Their mirror?

[@imadbabbili]

9:15 ls he talking myself or about MC?

[@jamieyoho2310]

How many stairs are they gonna make that poor dude walk up?

[@MrMystikmyk]

Where is part 2?!

[@carolinelabbott2451]

Type in this videos title in the search function and you'll find it very quickly. It's not a very clean cut between the end of this video and the start of the second video, but it's watchable.

[@MacauCheers]

He was just sketching from the stairs of the school for the 3D Illusion works. Great Dutch Architecture Building nurtures this talent! M C Escher Museum Clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b2LSc32Zf5qqqZo

[@teddy3761]

Song 12:12?