CLOSE AD ×

These surfaces are flat, but Peter Kogler' space-time warp artwork will have you losing your balance

These surfaces are flat, but Peter Kogler' space-time warp artwork will have you losing your balance

Despite being completely inanimate, artist Peter Kogler’s optical illusion paintings can induce vertigo and even claustrophobia in the viewer. Dramatic, geometric whorls from floor to ceiling envelope one in a dizzying vortex that visibly stretches the room in every possible direction, resulting in the effect of a space-time warp.

Each strategically positioned line has been painted or is projected onto the wall. The Vienna-based artist uses bold, contrasting colors for maximum drama, causing 2D graphics to read as distorted 3D environments. What starts out as simple grids are transformed into topographic drawings using digital design software to closely follow the grooves of the ceiling, walls, pillars, doors and other fixtures of the exhibition space and completely devour the viewer.

Kogler’s designs have been displayed everywhere from gallery rooms to subway tunnels, bringing a funhouse-like experience to the public. He began experimenting with computer design in 1984, playing around with a style tending toward the positivist-optimistic 1960s. Kogler’s optical illusions are currently on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, Croatia, but we’d love to see them take wallpaper form for broader circulation.


CLOSE AD ×