Form: Space Truth or illusion? Lola Planells Our common sense tells us that "art is illusion." The apples in a still life are not real apples; they are lines of charcoal. The trees in a landscape are not real trees; they are blobs of paint. The faces in a photograph are not real faces; they are dots of light-sensitive chemicals. But as Pablo Picasso once said, "Art is the lie that reveals the truth." With their charcoals, paints, and cameras, artists capture insights into the complexities of our lives, relationships, and histories. Art shouldn't leave you flat John Drooyan Our experience of space in two-dimensional art is conditioned by our experience in the real world. When we view flat artwork, our brains attempt to organize it into a three-dimensional space we can understand. To assist our imaginations, the artist might create the illusions of dimension, depth, and perspective. So, while some art may be literally flat, it can provide an experience of space that says something valuable and true about our three-dimensional world. The links below will lead you further into a discussion about space. Dimension Depth Perspective Other solutions Next: Dimension