Sep 08 2008
Figure and Ground
Our eyes are remarkably adept at pulling a figure from within what becomes background noise. In the above photo, recognizing the spotted trunkfish may take a fraction of a second or more. Initially. And then our minds almost pull it out of the photo. It reminds me of the popular 80s (90s?) 3d posters that required staring at a computer-generated image before the swimming dolphins, or an ice castle, or whatnot, “magically” appeared.
My point? Seeing is not a passive activity.
