M.C. Escher (1898-1972, full name: Maurits Cornelius Escher) was a Dutch graphical artist whose art is known for being both mathematical in nature and brain-bending. Some common elements in his prints include:
- Structures or situations in which each individual element is plausible, but which become impossible when taken as a whole.
- Tessellations
— that is, patterns which could extend over the entire plane if repeated indefinitely.
Many works will reference some of these constructions he invented or popularized — some common choices are Relativity, a room with various staircases and landings using different directions of gravity, Drawing Hands, in which two hands are each drawing the other into existence, and Ascending and Descending, a staircase which goes up or down forever (based on the Penrose Stairway).
(Escher also happens to be a close contemporary of René Magritte, whose works also mess with the viewers' heads, though not in the same way.)
Contrary to the name, he was not, in fact, a rapper (though he is "Weird Al" Yankovic's favorite MC).
Often works through Perspective Magic. A lot of Alien Geometries are based on his work. For more information on his techniques, see Graphical Perspective.
