‘Impossible’ Forms: Experimental Graphics and Theoretical Associations

The construction of ‘impossible’ forms by visual artist Tamás Farkas gives the impetus for a discussion, by Farkas and scientist Péter Érdi, of scientific concepts related to graphics. The forms discussed connect constituent elements in a logical manner. The authors emphasize the necessity for some mental procedure to interpret the ‘impossible’ forms. Dynamic structures and various kinds of ‘attractors’ are discussed in connection with the visualization of motion. Self-organization, a popular concept for understanding the spatio-temporal development of evolving forms, is presented as a means to rationalize the continuous organization of lines as the cooperative organization of discrete entities. Several notions of dimension are related to the graphics.