Escher’s mind-twisters on exhibit

Staff report

AKRON

You’ve seen the posters; now see the originals.

The Akron Art Museum is one of only two venues in the United States to show “M.C. Escher: Impossible Realities.”

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the exhibition is on loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece. It is on view at the Akron museum through May 29, offering the rare privilege of examining first-hand the masterworks of Maurits Cornelis Escher.

One of the most brilliant yet enigmatic artists of the 20th century, Escher delighted in creating visual puzzles that challenge our perception of reality.

“Are you really sure that a floor can’t also be a ceiling?” asked Escher.

“Are you definitely convinced that you will be on a higher plane when you walk up a staircase?” Such musings led to “mind-bending” qualities in his spatial illusions and have lent his imagery an enduring place in pop-culture iconography.

“We are so excited to offer viewers the chance to become enchanted with Escher’s unique vision of the world,” said Ellen Rudolph, curator of exhibitions. “Spending time with his exquisitely executed prints will undoubtedly yield wonderful discoveries and, as Escher hoped to inspire in his viewers, pure astonishment.”

“Impossible Realities” surveys the breadth of Escher’s career from the 1920s to the 1960s. The exhibition showcases 130 of the artist’s finest works, starting with his early book plates, moving on to landscapes, tessellations and impossible worlds, and concluding with his last print, “Snakes” (1969).

Featured are seminal and instantly recognizable works such as “Drawing Hands” and “Reptiles,” as well as the extremely rare lithographic stone for the making of “Flatworms.” Wood blocks, study drawings and single-color prints that illustrate Escher’s artistic process from concept to finished print also are included.

In addition, the Akron Art Museum is among a few institutions to feature all eight of Escher’s mezzotints together, including “Eye,” one of the finest examples of the medium ever created.