Scale, Perspective & Perception

Notes: 'Eye and Brian, The Psychology of Seeing' 5th ed Richard L Gregory

Interesting comparing cultural differences. Chinese and Japanese perspective is not geometric nor is it constancy of scaling of the retinal images, like Western persepective.

Tried the 'virtual reality' notion of Brunelleschi 1377-1446 with mirror and picture against landscape. That is so interesting and it works.

Notes to remember:
'the viewer's constancing scaling is affected by depth cues'.
'we use a reduced perspective for maximum realism'
'Perspective shaped objects can upset perceptions of size and distance'
Occlusion can upset depth perception' (card trick)
''Ames' room - perception is a matter of making the best bet on the evidence'

(the objects in the room/picture/image, alter the perception) One is readily attuned to the notion of a rectangular room

Shadows - 'we judge the forms of bodies by the knowledge we have acquired of light and shadow.' (Brewster quoted in 'Eye and Brain')

'No features determine depth or form: they can only increase probabilities of seeing in particular ways.'

ILLUSIONS
'Perceptions are not always, and very likely never, directly related to physical reality'.
'Cognitive illusion depends on one's knowledge'
Four kinds of illusion categorized: ambiguities, distortions, paradoxes, fiction'

eg the mirror paradox is physical, others tend to be psychological
eg: OP Art - Bridget Riley's 'Fall' based on patterns similar to moire patterns.

'All pictures of objects are transposed in space and time'
'The intelligent eye creates hypotheses beyond visual information'

This has huge implications for the painter. If one paints visual cues, what are the hypotheses one is setting up as an informed painter aware of the knowledge wealth of the viewer.