1. Jamie Gilbertson Math 471 Fall 2005
M.C. Escher
Jamie Gilbertson
Math 471
Fall 2005

2. Background Full name: Maurits Cornelis Escher
Born in Leeuwarden, Holland on
June 17,1898
Entered secondary school in 1912 where he did not enjoy mathematics, but he liked art class.

3. “I was extremely poor at arithmetic and algebra because I had, and still have, great difficulty with the abstractions of numbers and letters. When, later, in stereometry [solid geometry], an appeal was made to my imagination but in school I never excelled in that subject”
-M.C. Escher

4. His Start in Art
Traveled to Italy and began drawing sketches of the trees and vistas.
Fascinated with structure and light
Paid careful attention to details of the roof shingles and the cobblestone path ways

5. Geometry and Tessellations
His attraction to plane geometry began to grow.
Visited the Alhambra and became very influenced by the Moor Civilization
Constructed tessellations using interlocking polygons.

6. Though the Moor Civilization was forbidden from using living creatures in their art, Escher took a great interest in using these figures
Used mainly birds, lions, and fish

7. Uses of Symmetry
Translation
Rotation
Reflection
Glide-Reflection

8. Translation & Rotation

9. Reflection & Glide-Reflection

10. Putting it all Together

11. Used a fading technique to blend objects together.
Constructed the famous Metamorphose series.
Metamorphose I

12. Infinity
Became fascinated with the concept of infinity and began reflecting this into his art.

13. The Possible Impossibilities
Began constructing art that defied that natural laws of human nature 3

14. The Waterfall

15. Belvedere

16. Relativity

17. “What pathetic slaves we turn out to be of gravity’s dominant power over everything on earth. And then the right angle between the horizontal and the vertical! Almost everything we construct … are all right-angled boxes. They really are dreadfully boring and annoying.”
-M.C. Escher

18. The Possible Impossibilities
With his fascination of infinity, he created two never ending illustrations:
Drawing Hands
Möbius Strip

19. Drawing Hands

20. Möbius Strip II

21. "An endless ring-shaped band usually has two distinct surfaces, one inside and one outside. Yet on this strip nine red ants crawl after each other and travel the front side as well as the reverse side. Therefore the strip has only one surface."
-M.C. Escher

22. In the End In the late 1960s, his health became very poor.
Continued to complete his mathematical creations into his later days.
Died in March of 1972

23. Works Cited Visions of Symmetry by Doris Schattschneider © 1990
The Official M.C. Escher Website
The Geometry Center