MC Escher review, hallucinatory insights from the master of the mind-bending.

Escher's Paradoxical World: A Masterclass in Mind-Bending Art

As I walked through the Somerset House exhibition, I couldn't help but think of Maurits Cornelis Escher's fans, the ones who have spent years pouring over his prints and trying to decipher the secrets of his impossible worlds. For them, this show is a dream come true, a chance to immerse themselves in the master's most mind-bending creations. But what about the others, the ones who are just discovering Escher's work for the first time? What will they make of his paradoxical geometries and impossible gravities?

The Civilised Individual in a Brutal Age

One of the most striking things about Escher's work is the way it reveals his humanity. Take, for example, his 1945 diploma design for students at a temporary academy in Eindhoven. On the surface, it's a beautiful and intricate drawing, but look closer and you'll see that it's also a powerful commentary on the state of the world at the time. Behind a wise old owl in the foreground, twisting columns of black smoke rise from a riverside town, their evil sinuousness reflected in the water. This is not just a pretty picture, it's a statement about the horrors of war and the importance of holding on to civility in the face of brutality.

The Language of Mathematics

Escher's work is often described as fanciful, but that's a misnomer. As Galileo would say, his art is grounded in the "language of mathematics," the underlying code that governs the natural world. Even his wildest speculations reveal the workings of the world itself, and it's this that makes his art so compelling. You don't have to be a math whiz to appreciate Escher's work, you just need to look, and this exhibition lets you look so much more closely and deeply than you can in books and reproductions and imitations of his work.

Inside Escher's Paradoxical Places

At times, you feel like you're actually inside Escher's paradoxical places. Take, for example, his 1958 lithograph Belvedere. A king and queen survey a mountainous landscape from two storeys of a Renaissance building, but wait, they don't just face different ways, their separate floors are totally at odds, the king's pointing sideways while the queen faces out of the picture in a 90-degree shift. The columns on the front of the king's balustrade support the back of the queen's floor, and the whole building turns in two different dimensions inhabiting two truths at once. No wonder the builders are dressed as jesters while an architect sits studying geometry.

The Builders and the Architects

Escher's work is not just about creating beautiful and intricate designs, it's also about poking fun at the idea of order and control. In Belvedere, the builders are dressed as jesters, suggesting that even the most seemingly rational structures can be subject to whimsy and chaos. Meanwhile, the architect sits studying geometry, oblivious to the paradoxes that surround him. This is a commentary on the human condition, a reminder that even the most brilliant minds can be blind to the absurdities of the world around them.

A Masterclass in Mind-Bending Art

This exhibition is a masterclass in mind-bending art, a chance to see Escher's most incredible creations up close and personal. But it's more than that, it's a journey into the mind of a master, a chance to see the world through his eyes and appreciate the beauty and complexity of his art. Whether you're a seasoned fan or just discovering Escher's work, this show is a must-see.

As I left the exhibition, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sheer genius of Maurits Cornelis Escher. His art is a reminder that even in the most impossible of worlds, there is always beauty and wonder to be found. And who knows? Maybe one day, we'll be able to create worlds that defy gravity and logic, just like Escher did.