Art and Illusionists

Nicholas J. Wade is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Dundee in Scotland. He received his degree in psychology from the University of Edinburgh and his Ph.D. from Monash University, Australia, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung, at Max-Planck-Institute for Behavioural Physiology, Germany.  His research is concerned with the representation of space and motion in human vision, the history of vision research, binocular and motion perception, and the interplay between visual science and art. He has carried out psychophysical research on many visual phenomena and has written extensively on the history of the vision and perception. Nick Wade is the author of more than 20 successful books as well as multitudinous influential papers in the field. He is a long time consulting editor of the journal “Perception” and Section editor on Sensory and Behavioral Sciences of the Journal of the History of the Neurosciences.

• Introduction.- Perspective Paradoxes.- Trompe l’oeil.- Mosaics and Tiling.- Impossible Figures.- Surrealism.- Geometrical Optical Illusions.- Ambiguity.- Hidden Images.- Word and Image.- Colour.- Contrast.- Faces.- Scintillation and Apparent Motion.- Moiré and Motion.- Stereoscopic Vision.

"Wade draws on his many years of research and teaching to weave a winding narrative that is both informative and engaging. The science is clear without being patronising and gives an excellent overview for a nonspecialist audience. The ample bibliography and thorough indices encourage the reader to pursue the ideas that catch their eye and make this a valuable reference for a reader with more knowledge of the field." (Shelley James, Perception, November, 2016) "This book provides a comprehensive overview of illusions as art as well as of the artist and scientists who developed them, it is perhaps most useful as a text or supplement in an advanced undergraduate or graduate-level course on vision, art, or design. However, given the comprehensive collection of visual illusions, it may also be useful for visual perception researchers who have appreciation for art or artists who have an appreciation for visual perception." (Jeffrey B. Wagman, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 61 (25), 2016)