MC Escher Exhibit in Industry City Brooklyn, NY

It was so exciting to stumble across this exhibit while I was researching the works of MC Escher of my drawing class.  Thankfully our students and my colleagues are always willing to travel for art, despite winter weather, crazy schedules, and long bus rides.  With my recent discovery of woodblock printing techniques, this was more than timely!  
The exhibit was a true retrospective highlighting many, if not all, of Escher's masterworks.  I am always particularly grateful when curators also include sketches, a discussion of major influences, as well as the artist's own words.  This exhibit did that and more.

I was simply in awe of the detail, and technical prowess of Escher's design process and technique.  I was not aware that so many of his works were multi-block prints.  I also have been inspired to explore lithography as well as etching from the works I saw. I The pursued his work through travel, commissions, and book illustration projects, very affirming as a working artist myself.  Escher was an incredibly hard working artist.  He often wrote how he worked carving blocks in his hotel room or on board a ship turning sketches from the day into prints by night.  He also had his ups and downs financially and with critics.  Occasionally, had moments of great self-doubt and disappointment, but through it all he kept working and found joy in his family life.  He had a wonderful rhythm of travel for inspiration and then periods of intense hard work in his studio at home followed by exhibitions.  He enjoyed success and acceptance of his works in his own lifetime.  It is somewhat refreshing to read about the life and works of an artist that is not overshadowed by hardship, struggle, and strife and the focus is on the work, his inspiration, and his process.

Escher lived quietly and worked consistently.  He also took risks by undertaking personal projects that little promise of financial or critical rewards, as in the book of Dutch aphorisms he illustrated for a friend.  Once, lacking sufficient funds to travel, he wrote a ship company suggesting that he create individual views of the various ports of call on their itineraries in exchange for his passage. Much to his surprise the shipping company agreed and he traveled to Italy, the country he truly loved, as well as Spain once again.

The works in the exhibit were arranged chronologically.  From this it was easy to see how his travels and home life shaped his works.  The exhibit designers included "experiences."  These activities were fun, hands on, and emphasized the visual perception and artistic principles which Escher was mastering in various phases of his work.  I also appreciated the many person photos and process photos included in the exhibit as well.

Escher's deep understanding of the rules of visual perception and his mastery of play with them are not merely delights to the eye.  They are doorways for us, the viewer, to see the world through Escher's eye and to see the world in new and unexpected ways.  For me, in a world so in need of understanding and embracing perspectives outside our own personal experience, MC Escher and his work provide an important lesson in what it means to truly see.

​It was a terrific group of students and colleagues and a great day!  Here are what were for me some highlight images:

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