M.C. Escher

by Julius Wiedemann

Imaginary worlds, impossible stairways, paradoxical hallways, enigmatic patterns, and mind-boggling graphics are the trademarks of M.C. Escher's artwork. His two-dimensional drawings bring to life a fourth dimension where the surfaces of things come together like a Mobius strip. The profoundly original work of Escher has inspired countless artists, designers, and filmmakers and can be considered a genre in itself. This guide provides a mind-bending introduction to the great master's work.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, 21st Century

191 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2006

About the author

Julius Wiedemann was born in Brazil, where he studied design and marketing, and has lived and worked in Japan, Germany, and the UK. An eclectic expert on design based visual culture, Wiedemann has produced books on a range of topics, from robots to record covers. He holds the positions of Executive Editor for Design and Pop Culture at TASCHEN. Wiedemann studied graphic design and marketing and was an art editor for newspapers and design publications before joining TASCHEN in 2001.

Wiedemann has edited over 40 books in 10 years, he is a regular contributor to magazines, and has been on the jury of several awards all over the world. His publications have sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide, and his titles are immensely popular. As an editor his work is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach to contemporary design, synthesizing a vast array of topics, including logo design, fashion design, graphic design, web design, and product design. Underpinning many of his books is a desire to understand creativity and explore the nature of reality in a world that increasingly takes place online and is populated by characters and creatures not entirely human but of our creation. The wonders of animation, manga, and computer graphics fascinate and inspire him.

Julius Wiedemann’s TASCHEN titles include the celebrated series Illustration Now! a staple of any designer’s bookshelf, as well as the compendium 100 Illustrators. He has also edited the Package Design Book collection. His award-wining Jazz Covers and Rock Covers books showcase his editorial variety and his publication on National Geographic magazine’s infographics demonstrates how wide his design knowledge and appreciation extends.

Reviews

[eveltrain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Includes a biography and many pages of the artist’s work. Intriguing.

[Damian Ptak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piękny album wysokiej jakości wydruków wyjątkowych prac Eschera. Zdecydowanie warta uwagi. Historia artysty trochę nazbyt krótka i zwięzła.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little book for introducing Escher's work, but its small format detracts somewhat from the impact of the images ;)

[Isaiah Espinoza · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a picture book than anything else. A quick introductory biography and no more prose after that. Still worth it, for the pictures.