On Right and Wrong Drawings

Jan Koenderink*, Andrea Van Doorn, Baingio Pinna, Robert Pepperell

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Are pictorial renderings that deviate from linear perspective necessarily 'wrong'? Are those in perfect linear perspective necessarily 'right'? Are wrong depictions in some sense 'impossible'? Linear perspective is the art of the peep show, making sense only from one fixed position, whereas typical art works are constructed and used more like panel presentations, that leave the vantage point free. In the latter case the viewpoint is free; moreover, a change of viewpoint has only a minor effect on pictorial experience. This phenomenologically important difference can be made explicit and formal, by considering the effects of panning eye movements when perusing scenes, and of changes of viewpoint induced by translations with respect to pictorial surfaces. We present examples from formal geometry, photography, and the visual arts.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-38
Number of pages38
JournalArt and Perception
Volume4
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Dec 2016

Keywords

  • Perspective
  • panel vision
  • peephole vision

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