Take a look at the following image. I’m interested in what you see when you look at it?
It’s by Rafa Jenn and it’s called You Know What I Mean
This image is the skin on the cover of my Mac. I bought it from Gelaskins (they’ll wrap anything). When I first saw it, I got it immeadiatley. I thought it one of the most brilliant images I’d seen, and the title, in the context of what I do for a living spoke all kinds of things at me.
Once I’d stuck it onto my laptop I started showing people, and then discovered that very very few people saw what I had seen. Dumbfounded by this, I kept asking people? So far, out of 30 people interviewed, only 6 saw what I did, and 2 of them I had to coach a little. Art interpretation is very subjective. I’m very aware of this as I don’t often see what others see in most imagery.
Some people see a rabbit. Some see a totem pole. Some can only see semi-circle shapes. Some crinkle their eyes waiting for a 3D image to pop out.
What I saw (along with 5 others so far) is the Mona Lisa. A clear as day. There she sits. The shape of the image, the colours of the image. In fact there’s nothing else to see but the Mona Lisa. Even when I place an image of THE Mona Lisa next to my laptop, people can’t see it.
It’s clearly a brain thing. Some brains do a particular thing with this image that others don’t. I’ll keep exploring and investigating exactly what that ‘something’ is?
In the mean time, I’d certainly appreciate your feedback in the comments below. What did you see? There’s no right or wrong, so don’t feel like you’ve failed if you didn’t see the Mona Lisa. I’m just interested in the beautiful difference in the way we view the world……
COOL! I saw it right away, then read it thinking it would be wrong and was surprised. More obvious in the smaller image, more perspective maybe.
Saw the Mona Lisa as well.
I just see shapes – tried really hard to see the Mona Lisa but I would be lying if I said I could see it.
Will show it to my daughter who is artistic and let u know what she sees.
It’s become a fascinating experiment for me. I need to find a ‘brain person’ who can help me understand it.
I tried again yesterday with a group of people, and the majority don’t see it. I even held up an image of the Mona Lisa to help them.
The Mona Lisa. It was very distinctive to me when first seeing. I guess having actually viewed the Mona Lisa at the Louvre,I immediately associated the colour palate. Either that, or I’m just as smart as the other 5 who identified the Mona Lisa 🙂
Defintly immediately saw the Mona Lisa. It might have to do with your mind filling the gaps that the blurred colours leave. Interestingly enuf, wen i look at the zoomed image the mona Lisa is facing the right but when i look at the picture much smaller and zoomed out i see that she is facing the left.
I saw the Mona Lisa, clear as day. I think Ricardo might be right, the colour palate (although I have never been to see it in person). But the placing of the colours may have something to do with it or if we have an interpretive brain or not, I have a minor background in design so manipulating shapes in your mind is necessary (and learned), maybe that’s it.