Hyperrealism with Tom Mulliner

Op Art, Bridget Riley, and Illusion as Artistic Language Inline SVG demonstration: In Riley’s Movement in Squares (1961), systematically varying the width of black squares against a white ground generates strong illusory motion effects. The overlaid red line indicates perceived path distortion, not explicit physical curvature. For comparison, see Riley (1965) in the Tate Archives. Expert Objective This masterclass interrogates the artistic deployment of visual illusion in Op Art—particularly via the works of Bridget Riley and those influenced by the movement—through the lens of current vision science literature. Our objective: to rigorously analyze (1) how Op Art characterizes and destabilizes perceptual norms, (2) the neural and psychophysical mechanisms underlying these effects, and (3) the open scientific and artistic questions prompted by this complex interaction. The focus is advanced, prioritizing...

Checkpoint: Design a Multi-Mechanism Illusion The Constructed Eye: Visual Illusion, Perception Science, and the Work of Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto — Day 24 Simultaneous Contrast + Surface Edge Multi-Mechanism Illusion Panel: Two identical central bars appear differently due to both gradient surround (simultaneous contrast) and edge placement (Mach bands). Designed for this masterclass. Expert Objective Design, justify, and critically analyze an original visual illusion that combines at least two separable perceptual mechanisms, explicitly aiming to create a multi-mechanism conflict or enhancement. The artist’s ambition is to use rigorous vision science—not just optical trickery—to explore and expose layered processing in human visual perception, instructing advanced viewers in the interplay between contextual, edge-based, and higher-order grouping ef...

Afterimages, Adaptation, and Temporal Effects Day 23 • The Constructed Eye: Visual Illusion, Perception Science, and the Work of Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto Red (stare here) Cyan (afterimage) Afterimage demonstration: Fixating on the red square for 20 seconds, then moving gaze to a white area, produces a cyan afterimage—the complementary color. This effect is foundational for understanding visual adaptation. See Zaidi et al., 2012 . Expert Objective Today’s objective is to dissect the temporal dynamics of afterimages and adaptation responses, distinguishing the phenomenology from underlying neural mechanisms, and to clarify why afterimages—central to contemporary illusionists like Akiyoshi Kitaoka—remain a battleground for perceptual science. Unlike static contrast effects, temporal dependencies in visual signals unmask adaptive filtering processes and intercellular communication governing color, lumina...

Day 22: Depth, Perspective, Shadow, and Impossible-Object Illusions Masterclass Series: The Constructed Eye: Visual Illusion, Perception Science, and the Work of Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto Ground-shadow Projected-shadow Box on Ground Floating Plate Illustration: Ambiguous shadow placement alters perceived spatial relation and depth, a key factor in shadow-based depth illusions (adapted for educational use). Expert Objective Today’s objective is to dissect the perceptual mechanisms underlying depth, perspective, and shadow illusions—including the rigorous construction of impossible objects—through the lenses of contemporary psychophysics and neuroimaging. Artists will critically examine the neural and perceptual basis for false depth cues, the psychophysical signatures of real versus illusory perspective, and the architecture of paradoxical figures as designed by K...

The Constructed Eye Masterclass: Day 21 Figure-Ground, Gestalt Grouping, and Visual Segmentation Intensive daily masterclass in perception science, with focus on the art and vision science of Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto. Ambiguous figure-ground Competing regions Original SVG: Ambiguity in figure-ground assignments. Notice how grouping and enclosure affect which region is perceived as figure versus background, echoing Gestalt principles and influencing subsequent visual segmentation. Visual artists and perceptual scientists alike confront the foundational problem of figure-ground organization —how surfaces are dynamically assigned as 'objects' (figures) or backgrounds (grounds). Both Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto exploit this ambiguity in their works, pushing the viewer’s visual system to oscillate between possible interpretations. Figure-ground segregation, Gestalt grouping, and ...

Brightness Illusions, Pupil Responses, and the Asahi Effect Asahi effect area SVG depiction of the Asahi brightness illusion. Despite identical luminance profiles, the center appears to glow. (Adapted from Komban et al., 2017 .) Expert Objective As a practicing artist with a focus on advanced visual phenomena, your aim with Day 20 is to master the technical and perceptual underpinnings of brightness illusions—focusing on automatic pupil responses and their physiologically-relevant cues, with special attention to the Asahi effect as explored by Akiyoshi Kitaoka and Beau Lotto. You should be able to discriminate between illusions rooted in photometric ambiguity, high-level inference, and direct neural coupling, and to apply this knowledge to both studio phenomena and the interpretation of scientific demonstrations. Uniform surro...

Expert Synthesis: A Decision Framework for Binding Agents The Chemistry of Binding Agents: Day 30 – Mastering Choices from Egg Tempera to Acrylic Polymers Egg Tempera Linseed Oil Casein Acrylic Historical palette: The rich spectrum of binding agents, each anchoring artistic revolutions. Binding agents have orchestrated the look, feel, and longevity of history’s masterpieces. (Data: National Gallery London, Tate) Dramatic Opener: The Decisive Moment Picture Florence, 1488: Domenico Ghirlandaio, brush in hand, weighs his options—egg yolk or linseed oil? The answer determines not only the technical execution but the very fate of his Last Supper frescos. For centuries, the chemistry of binders has shaped art’s greatest moments. Today, modern artists face an even vaster palette, each agent a unique synthesis of tradition, science, and ambition. The Chemistry of Binding A...

The Constructed Eye: Day 19 Geometric, Tilt, Spiral, Bulge, and Orientation Illusions Exploring Illusory Space: How Control over Context, Geometry, and Orientation Distorts What Artists and Brains See Comparative analysis: A simple ellipse (left) vs. local tilt cues (right) disrupting orientation judgments as demonstrated in the Zöllner and Orbison illusions. Note controlled geometry and local tilt emphasis. Expert Objective Today’s masterclass unpacks the neural and perceptual architecture underlying geometric illusions—specifically tilt, spiral, bulge, and orientation effects—with direct analysis of their psychophysical signatures and relevance to advanced artistic practice. Artists gain not only empirical understanding but also informed strategies to manipulate or avoid unwanted distortions in composition, perspective, and illusion. Obs...

Capstone Studio Project: Designing a Painting Around Binder Chemistry From the Renaissance master’s luminous egg tempera to the fluorescent sheen of mid-century Pop Art, the story of painting is inseparable from the science—and magic—of binding agents. Today’s lesson challenges you to design your own artwork, not just with a binder, but around its core chemistry . Egg Yolk (Protein & Lipid) Linseed Oil (Triglyceride) Acrylic Polymer (PMMA copolymer) Major painting binders by chemistry: protein-lipid (egg yolk), oil (linseed), and synthetic polymer (acrylic). Each confers distinct film properties and working qualities ( Tate ). Dramatic History in Chemistry Picture Botticelli in his Florentine studio, the volatile aroma of egg tempera sharp in the air, every brushstroke racing time before the yolk dries. Contrast this with David Hockney, layering luminous acrylics in his California s...

Binder Recipes Compared: Traditional, Modern, and Conservation-Safe Limits Day 28 – The Chemistry of Binding Agents Masterclass Alchemical Artistry: Comparing the recipes that shaped art across centuries and chemistry Historic paint pots Historic binders—egg tempera, oil, and acrylic—shaped masterpieces by Giotto, Rembrandt, and Rothko. We compare the chemistry behind the legends. Dramatic Opener: Secrets of Longevity and Brilliance 1453, Florence: Beneath the flicker of tallow lamps, a painter hammers open a fresh egg, separating yolk with the precision of an apothecary. Across Europe, another stirs linseed oil and pigment by firelight. Fast-forward to the 1960s: a chemist extrudes acrylic polymer emulsions that dry in minutes. Every era’s binder—egg, oil, plastic—forms the hidden armature behind legacies like Giotto’s frescoes, van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait , and Rothko’s vibrating fi...

Archival Best Practice: What “Permanent” Can and Cannot Mean Course: The Chemistry of Binding Agents Day 27 "Permanent" Artworks: The Myth and Reality of Endurance From Renaissance tempera panels to late-modern acrylics, artists have craved permanence. But what do chemists, museums, and conservators really mean by "archival"? The lure of permanency: Artists across centuries have searched for binding agents and techniques that promise their marks will last beyond their own lives. But "archival" is never absolute—science sets the boundaries. Infographic: Core question for Day 27. Dramatic historical opener: In 1504, Leonardo da Vinci, famed for pursuing technical perfection, stood before his newly finished mural, The Battle of Anghiari . Within decades, the once-vivid work had nearly vanished—his experimental binder failed, highlighting a bitter lesson in permanence. Today, artists reach for “archival” mate...