Stair-ing into Escher

It started as a simple endeavor: A brief set by, �Art Now!� �A biopic of the life and times of Mc Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher in case you’re curious). A hundred quid and a feature in their January edition. Why not? I thought. Escher’s pretty cool as far as it goes and I could do with shifting the Christmas debt. What�s the harm?

I don�t quite know how it happened really. That�s a lie. I have absolutely no idea how I ended up here. I was there. And now I’m here. That’s all I know for sure. I was at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, just doing my journalistic due diligence. I mean, if you�re going to take it upon yourself to write about a guy, you sure as hell better do your research. That�s what my professor used to tell us anyway. And believe me, right now I wish I hadn�t listened to the silly codger. But I bet he never found himself in my uncanny position. A figure. An illustration. A fucking line drawing in somebody else�s mind. Or painting. I don’t even know.

It happened kind of like this, I was stood in front of the �House of Stairs� largely minding my own beeswax, thinking how metaphorically, unmetaphorical it all really was. The endless loop. The hustling. Should have just called it, �Life� in my opinion. I didn’t say it out loud. Or at least I don’t think I did. Maybe, I did? Who knows?

But here’s the thing, in my musings I seem to have found myself in a rather disconcerting position. First I was there – a spectator. Then, well – now it would seem I am here. A participant. Hardly, The Hunger Games…yet. But believe me, my heart is beating faster that Katniss� Everdeen�s before a Snow meltdown.

Let me tell you, it�s freaky here. Stuck. I am on a loop. Pinned to an escalator that refuses to give over, which is kind of ironic really given how often the escalators down at, �The Strand� are under construction. Nada. No movement. Take a walk. Human. No, such luck. This escalator just keeps on riding.

I am forced upwards; turning -twisting – writhing in on myself �these stairs defy logic. A perpetual, paradoxical motion that propels me onwards to nowhere and nothing. Waiting for Godot. Or God. Or nothing at all in particular. Or everything at once. Just waiting. A line drawing of myself. Like the fish. Only skinnier. And with less of a point to make in the grand scheme of things.

Though, admittedly I�ve learned a few things in my ongoing travels. Maurits Cornelis Escher was born to the Netherlands in 1898. He was a bit of a plodder growing up, truth be told, not having any particular remarkableness about him. No master genius. But he did have a wild imagination that didn�t quite match up to his ability (hearing that!). But he was dedicated and it served him well. Eventually.

Despondent and recognizing his distinct indistinctness as an artist he semi-ditched the easel, Escher went into architecture �playing with perspective and what not. Holy shit! Is that a wentelteefje? Move stairs move. Damn.

It�s gone. For now.,. At least.

Anyway, as I was saying. Crazy imagination. Like he never grew out of being a kid. Don�t you remember the good old days when a cardboard box was the living incantation of every moment in history �the Spanish Armada- the Lusitania- before progressing through the ages into a Friday Spaceship ready to explore a weekend of galaxies?

My God! They are everywhere and nowhere these stairs. Oh yes �There he is! Escher, the walls are shifting – etched with his extensive travels through Italy and Spain. The countryside rolling into steady streams of olive groves and orange orchards. And there, on the right side next to the window. Staring in doesn’t give you much in the way of perspective does it really? I never noticed it before; the Alhambra-its architecture swilling in intricate detail. How could I not have seen it? A mathematical beauty of precision and symmetry.

As the stairs carry me forward I learn more than I ever wished to know about this enigmatic man. It�s just a feature for Christ�s sake, not a biopic novel. The stairs flow past more imagery, World War II ravished Europe and took Escher innocence along with it. The grubby wooden crosses of the dead sprout up around me like colorless poppies. He is lost to the desperation of it all. His depictions become darker. And darker still. An exploration of all that humanity had become. Destructive. Judgmental. Evil. Entirely and fundamentally inhuman. A paradox that could not be rationalized. An infinite cycle of repeated failure and death and war. And destruction.

As the years passed. he sought a converging line within a labyrinthine world. An imaginary line, like an equator merging art, mathematics, and philosophy. Not time. There was no time. Life and death endlessly stretching before him.

The stairs switch, propelling me through unquantifiable space. An older Escher, his heart palpitating in startling intensity. His skin tight and itching as his tumors spread through his epidermis, fracturing his already lingering heart. Still, he endured, painting and creating. Living. His mind detached from his own disintegrating body. They were not part of the same mechanism. Living on in endless stairs and conundrums. Feats of artistic prowess and the science of alchemy he would not succumb until he must.

Switching outwards, the stairs discombobulate my movements. I cannot tell right from left. His life engulfing me in paintbrush fibers. Am I here or there? An optical illusion of myself. A master creation? Or nothing at all?

And here, trapped amongst the mind of man, I am entirely convinced that a floor can indeed be a ceiling.

Answer!

1. What motivated the narrator to write about M.C. Escher?
2. Where was the narrator when they experienced a significant change in their circumstances?
3. How did the narrator describe their transformation in the museum?
4. What specific artwork of Escher does the narrator mention, and what personal reflection does it prompt?
5. How does the narrator describe their physical situation after the transformation?
6. What information does the narrator learn about Escher’s early life and career shift?
7. What impact did World War II have on Escher, according to the narrator?
8. Describe the paradox that Escher struggled with in his later works, as understood by the narrator.
9. How does the narrator feel about the perpetual motion and the architecture they are experiencing?
10. What realization does the narrator come to about the nature of floors and ceilings by the end of the passage?

Match!

Match the Vocabulary Words with their Definitions.

Research!

How does M.C. Escher’s use of mathematical concepts in his art influence modern perceptions of optical illusions and architecture?

Create!

Discuss!

1. How does art influence our perception of reality? Discuss examples where art has changed the way people view the world or has challenged their preconceptions.
2. Can mathematical principles enhance artistic expression, or do they restrict creativity? Explore how the application of math in art can both liberate and limit an artist’s creative process.
3. What role does imagination play in interpreting art? Consider how personal experiences and imagination affect the way art is interpreted by different viewers.
4. How do optical illusions work, and what do they tell us about human perception? Delve into the science behind optical illusions and discuss why they are important in understanding the human mind.
5. Is it possible for something to be truly paradoxical, or are paradoxes merely misunderstandings of complex truths? Examine famous paradoxes and discuss whether they can be resolved or if they represent true contradictions.
6. In what ways do physical spaces influence our thoughts and emotions? Consider architecture, landscape design, and urban planning in your discussion.
7. How does the concept of infinite loops appear in other disciplines, such as literature, film, or music? Explore the use of repetition and loops in various forms of art and how they affect the audience’s experience.
8. What is the importance of perspective in understanding the world around us? Discuss how changes in perspective can alter our understanding of a situation, problem, or artwork.
9. How can art serve as a commentary on societal issues? Discuss instances where art has been used to reflect on social, political, or environmental issues.
10. What does it mean to be ‘trapped’ in a cycle, whether psychological, social, or physical? Consider discussing habitual behaviors, societal expectations, or even philosophical ideas about determinism and free will.