MC Escher: Ambiguous Or Phenominal?

8 Pages 1975 Words

In the woodcut entitled “Metamorphosis,” the birds, bees, and fish that emerge from the background suddenly give way to a view of an Italian town precise in every detail. Is it possible that such perception, precision, and transition exists in life itself or merely drawn from the life of the artist? This paper will introduce you to the artist himself- M.C. Escher, and only skim the surface of the amazing yet ambiguous depth and exactitude to his work.
Maurits Cornelius Escher, a Dutch artist was born in the Netherlands at Leeuwarden on June 17, 1898. As a child, Escher always had an intensely creative side and an ‘acute sense of wonder' . He often claimed to see shapes that he could relate to in the clouds. In school, Escher failed to shine in many of his subjects, but exhibited an early interest in both music and carpentry. Escher, however, developed a deep interest in printing techniques as a result of receiving good reports from respective art departments that had encouraged him to experiment.
Family aspirations that Escher would train as an architect were disappointed when he failed his final exams in history, constitutional organizations, political economies and book keeping, and as a result he never officially graduated high school.
His family moved to Oosterbeek where a loophole in Dutch law allowed him to enroll at the Higher Technical School in Delft (1918-1919) allowing him to repeat some of the subjects he had failed. (Bool 17) Unable and unwilling to catch up following poor health, Escher decided to concentrate on his drawing and his woodcut techniques. In September of 1920, Escher moved to Harlem in a final attempt to follow his father's wish that he study architecture and thus enrolled at the School for Architecture and Decorative Arts.
A chance meeting with Samuel Jesserum de Mesquita, a graphic arts teacher, proved a landmark event in Escher's life and he became convinced that a graphic arts program would...