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The Art of Yorkshire garden at the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show celebrates the work of a number of artists who were either born in the county or who have been inspired by its landscape. David Hockney is represented through a giant iPad on an easel which frames views of the garden, acknowledging the continuing significance of the notion of the picture plane or perspective window.  The illusion of a painted surface is enhanced by the cut-away easel. (photo copyright © Russell Light) Hockney has extensively explored the use of optical devices such as the camera lucida in the history of art. His recent exhibitions have featured digital art on iPads made using the app Brushes. The garden, which also features Barbara Hepworth's 'Ascending Form', won a Silver Medal at the show. A 3 part film with an interview with the designer, Kate Dundas, is available on the Guardian website. Sources: D Hockney (2001) - 'Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters...

Anamorphic coffee cup, designed by Ross McBride. The distorted lettering on the porcelain saucer is reflected in the mirrored stainless steel cup. The 'corrected' reflection in the cylindrical surface enables the lettering to be read clearly. Tea also available... (photos copyright © Russell Light) These designs are based on the same principles as anamorphoric paintings which became popular in the 17th century. Anamorphic pictures were often used to conceal political, religious and erotic images. The theory and practice of anamorphosis was first set out by Jean François Niceron in his 'La Perspective Curieuse', which was published in Paris in 1638. Laurante - Anamorphosis, 1630 (source: Wikimedia Commons) See also: The Brothers Quay and Anamorphosis

As part of his recent retrospective exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, David Nash created a site specific piece entitled 'Seventy One Steps', which forms part of the walking route between the two sides of the valley. " The intervention consists of seventy one oak steps, carefully charred and oiled, which follow the lie of the land up the hill. The steps are embedded in thirty tons of coal, to create a useful artwork that will gradually erode as it is walked on. The steps are an evolution of an abiding theme within Nash's sculpture that connects up and down, root and branch, and inspired by his primary interest in wood and trees. " (taken from the information board on site) The width of the steps gradually decrease as they rise up the hillside, with those at the top being roughly half the width of those at the bottom. This creates an accelerated perspective effect, which makes the stair appear longer and more impressive as one begins the ascent. By contrast...

The renaissance idea of perspectival space was not confined to painting or architecture. As a means of expressing mathematical harmony and man's place in the natural world, it became an important concept in all of the spatial and visual arts, from marquetry to urban design. The role of perspective in the gardens of the Italian renaissance is touched upon by Monty Don in his current BBC television series. The second episode (broadcast on 22. April 2011) looks at the gardens of Florence and begins with Cosimo Medici's villa at Castello (c.1537), one of the earliest gardens where these ideas were explored. It is currently available on BBC iPlayer . If you miss that, there is an accompanying  DVD and book . A good starting point for a more detailed spatial analysis of these gardens is: P Van Der Ree et al (1992) - 'Italian Villas and Gardens', Prestel. Amazon link Villa Medici at Castello lunette (source: Wikimedia Commons) The continuing interest in perspective in the ...

'Dormitorium: An Exhibition of Sets of Films by the Quay Brothers' is currently running at Liverpool's Victoria Gallery and Museum, from 25. March to 28. May 2011 (free admission). Further details are available here . In 1991, the Brothers Quay explored perspective drawing and the issues associated with perspectival distortion in a short film entitled 'Anamorphosis, or De Artificiali Perspectiva'. This beautifully filmed animation offers a excellent introduction to the secrets of anamorphosis. The film was made in collaboration with art historians, Sir Ernst Gombrich and Roger Cardinal. " Anamorphosis is a minor chapter in the vast and complex history of how painters have constructed images of the world. The film seeks to illuminate an artistic technique which plays mischievously yet revealingly with the relationship between the eye and what it sees. " The full film can be viewed on YouTube in 2 parts (total 13 mins) Part 1 Part 2 Additional links: BBC ...

I have added an additional section to the 'How to...' page, showing a method for constructing shadows in perspective, or sciagraphical perspective , both in sunlight and for an artificial light source. The illustrations come from Richard Brown's 'Principles of Practical Perspective' of 1815. Brown, who described himself as an architect and professor of perspective, dedicated his treatise to John Soane. The book contained 51 plates and was originally priced at two guineas. " To enter into any laboured encomiums on the importance of Perspective, and the use of painting would be needless.  The absolute necessity of an intimate acquaintance with its principles and its practice, in order to arrive at excellence, or even mediocrity in the imitative arts, is now universally felt and acknowledged.  A practical treatise on Perspective and Painting needs, therefore, no apology. " (image copyright © Russell Light)

A pop up diagram from a nineteenth century treatise by Butler Williams, demonstrating the relationship between the viewing position, the picture plane, the object and the visual rays (images copyright © Russell Light). Williams, Butler (1843) - 'A Manual for Teaching Model-Drawing from Solid Forms, the Models Founded on those of M. Dupuis, Combined with a Popular View of Perspective', 2nd edition, John W. Parker, London, 1852.