This Necker Cube Study (2017) is a perceptual oil painting that explores visual ambiguity and cognitive interpretation through geometric abstraction. Its starting point was the concept of the Necker cube—an optical illusion first described by Swiss crystallographer Louis Albert Necker in 1832.
On its own terms, a Necker cube is a simple line drawing of a cube that can be perceived in two distinct orientations, flipping back and forth in the viewer’s mind. The painting expands this perceptual phenomenon and transforms it into a richly textured and layered visual experience.
This done by arranging multiple Necker cubes in a way that challenges the viewer’s depth perception. Through this layering and juxtaposing, a dynamic tension is created and with it a tension between flatness and three-dimensionality. As a result, the painting doesn’t just depict the illusion—it activates it, encouraging viewers to engage with the shifting perspectives. Overall, this Perceptual ambiguity invites viewers to experience the instability of visual interpretation and how perception bridges sensory input and cognitive processing.
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Amy Ione
Title: Necker Cube Study
Date: 2017
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 8 x 12 x 1 in (unframed)
Signed
Catalog Number: 31957
In a private collection.