Glass Art and Optical Illusions

As an artistic medium, glass can be used creatively to create some very interesting optical illusions, bending and refracting light and images to trick the eye in endless ways. The optical and physical properties of glass make it an ideal medium for captivating the eye and the mind.

Glass artists and photographers can leverage these properties to produce some very imaginative works of art. Prisms separate white light into the colors of the rainbow. Concave and convex glass distorts images, giving them an otherwordly appearance. And colored glass can produce multiple colors when layered.

The art of glassmaking has long made use of the unique light-altering properties of glass, but photograpers can also transform even a common wine glass into a unique composition with the right lighting and a little creativity. Art and illusion come together to dazzle the viewer in a fusion of light and color.

When light passes from one transparent medium (such as air) to another (such as glass), it bends.The angle between the light ray and the normal as it enters a medium is called the angle of refraction. The angle between the light ray and the normal as it leaves a medium is called the angle of incidence.

Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. This is most commonly seen when a wave passes from one medium to another. By experimenting with the effects of different incident and refractive angles, you can create myriad visual illusions and effects.