NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)–There’s a new art exhibition at M.S. Rau, Fine Art, Antiques and Jewels, that highlights the incredible optical illusion artwork of Patrick Hughes. Illusion is part of the viewer’s experience of art.
“The reason why the pictures are moving is because your feet tell you one thing and your eyes tell you another. My work is in what I called Reverspective. It’s all made in perspective which should be going away from you. Mine is in reverse and it sticks out towards you,” explains Patrick Hughes, when asked about how his artwork works.
For over 60 years, Hughes has mystified people in Great Britain and all over the world.
Rebecca Rau is a 4th generation owner of M.S. Rau, where the exhibition is and says, “Patrick really plays to this sense of trickery and lightheartedness. It’s truly genius how he has studied perspective over many decades and created something so unique that allows our minds to play tricks on us in an amazing way. It’s brilliant!”
On the walls of the exhibition, there are perspectives of Venice Italy, skyscrapers, libraries and sharks. There is also a nod to New Orleans, Louisiana.
“This piece is referring to the fact that I am here, showing my work in New Orleans and doing a little bit of work, during my visit,” says Hughes.
The experience for the visitor, is to behold the unique outside-of-the-box brain, of an artist ruled by the straight lines, rectangles and trapezoids of geometry.
Art simply is. Life is the same. The rules are sometimes made to be broken. That is a mantra, that comes through in Hughes’ colors.
“What I’ve found, is if you go the wrong way and try things inside out and upside down, the wrong way around, it’s often better than doing things the right way. Try things the wrong way. Try things the other way,” says Patrick Hughes.
If you want to experience the optical illusion for yourself, The Patrick Hughes exhibit will be on display until the end of May.