Physics of light
A. Depiction of Space.
How did the artist deal with the concept of space and three-dimensionality? Review the
material on ambiguous depth cues presented in Module 16 Depth Perception, and add
any comments you might have about whether objects indeed look closer or further away
within the picture, and/or whether horizontal surfaces look horizontal. Look carefully.
Many 20th century artists purposely omit or confuse depth cues to make color and
shape more important.
B. Depiction of Light.
How did the artist deal with light? Did he or she recognize that light is physical and
comes from sources? Or did he or she use light as a spiritual or metaphysical quality of
objects and/or the viewer? Did the artist treat shadows, reflections, refraction, and/or
scattering accurately? Review the material in Modules 6-10 if you need to.
C. Visual Perception.
How did the artist use perception effects? Such effects include simultaneous contrast,
assimilation, and the Craik-O’Brien illusion (Module 24), rapid-eye-movement and
afterimages (Module 23), overall color balance (is the picture harmonious or
disquieting? why?), and any other perceptual reactions you might have to the picture.
