Christopher Tyler

Last updated

Christopher W. Tyler
NationalityBritish
Alma mater
Scientific career
FieldsNeuroscience

Christopher William Tyler is a neuroscientist, [1] creator of the autostereogram ("Magic Eye" pictures), [2] and is the Head of the Brain Imaging Center at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute [1] He also holds a professorship at City University of London. [3]

Contents

Biography

After earning his PhD from the University of Keele (1970), Tyler became a research fellow at Bell Labs (1974–75), where he worked with Bela Julesz, a vision scientist, psychologist, and MacArthur Fellow. Julesz is well known for his invention of the random dot stereogram, for which he used a computer to create a stereo pair of random-dot images. Although nothing except random dots can be seen in each pair, when people look through a stereoscope so that the left image is viewed only by the left eye and the right image is viewed only by the right eye, they see three-dimensional shapes. After leaving Bell Labs, Tyler took a position at Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences.

Tyler's scientific interests are in visual perception and visual neuroscience. His research has contributed to the study of form, symmetry, flicker, motion, color, and stereoscopic depth perception in adults and he has developed tests for the diagnosis of eye diseases in infants and of retinal and optic nerve diseases in adults. He has studied visual processing and photoreceptor dynamics in other species such as butterflies and fish.

Tyler's recent scientific work concerns theoretical, psychophysical, and functional MRI studies of the structure of global processes such as structure from motion, symmetry, figure/ground and stereoscopic depth perception, and their susceptibility to damage in traumatic brain injury.

Tyler's present and recent past associates include Lora Likova, Josh Solomon, Chien-Chung Chen, Spero Nicholas, Mark Schira, Lenny Kontsevich, Russ Hamer, Anthony Norcia, Lauren Barghout, Amy Ione. [4]

Autostereogram

Shortly after arriving at Smith-Kettlewell (in 1979) Tyler significantly advanced Julesz's random dot stereogram research when he invented the random-dot autostereogram. Such autostereograms made it possible for a person to see 3-dimensional shapes from a single 2-dimensional image without the aid of a stereoscope. [5] These images were later known as the “Magic Eye” after they were popularized by several N.E. Thing Enterprises publications that spent a number of weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Art Investigations

Tyler's art investigation articles fall under various topics, including composition, [6] perspective studies, the eye-centering controversy, [7] [8] David Hockney's optical hypothesis, [9] Leonardo self-portraiture, Manet's last painting A Bar at the Folies-Bergère , Masolino, space in 20th-century art, symmetry: art and neuroscience, the structure of consciousness, and computer art. [10] [11]

Tyler also has made convincing arguments against the thesis supported by Hockney's book Secret Knowledge: Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters that optical projection techniques aided many artist's paintings beginning in the early 15th century, but spread over about two centuries between 1420 and 1595, [9] citing variously Fabriano, Jan van Eyck, Pisanello, Mantegna, Melozzo di Forli, Cranach, Raphael and Moroni. Tyler showed with geometric reconstructions at his web site [12] that the art works under discussion are brilliant paintings by eye rather than those compatible with optical projections. [13]

Octant projection

Outline of the projection Da Vinci octant in the Codex Atlanticus Leonardo-Octant-projection.JPG
Outline of the projection Da Vinci octant in the Codex Atlanticus

The octant projection [14] [15] [16] or octants projection is a type of projection [17] proposed for the first time, in 1508, by Leonardo da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus. [18] Tyler demonstrated Leonardo's authorship, who stated "For those projections dated later than 1508, his drawings should be effectively considered the original precursors ...". [18] Tyler argued his case by separating Leonardo's projection authorship (1508) from Leonardo's map authorship (1514), unlike other authors who had treated the authorship of both map and projection together. [18]

Consciousness Studies

Tyler's interests in the nature of consciousness have resulted in a reconceptualization of the essence of quantum physics, in which the Schrödingerian superposition of states is expressed as an inherent property of the conception of probability held by the conscious investigator rather than a property of the physical system per se [FoM paper]. While this retains the role of consciousness in the quantum framework, by casting the superposition solely as a property of the neural conceptualization, it resolves many of the paradoxes of quantum physics within the domain of classical physics.[ clarification needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stereoscopy</span> Technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image

Stereoscopy is a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by means of stereopsis for binocular vision. The word stereoscopy derives from Greek στερεός (stereos) 'firm, solid', and σκοπέω (skopeō) 'to look, to see'. Any stereoscopic image is called a stereogram. Originally, stereogram referred to a pair of stereo images which could be viewed using a stereoscope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generative art</span> Art created by a set of rules, often using computers

Generative art refers to art that in whole or in part has been created with the use of an autonomous system. An autonomous system in this context is generally one that is non-human and can independently determine features of an artwork that would otherwise require decisions made directly by the artist. In some cases the human creator may claim that the generative system represents their own artistic idea, and in others that the system takes on the role of the creator.

<i>Camera lucida</i> Optical drawing aid

A camera lucida is an optical device used as a drawing aid by artists and microscopists.

Computer art is any art in which computers play a role in production or display of the artwork. Such art can be an image, sound, animation, video, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, video game, website, algorithm, performance or gallery installation. Many traditional disciplines are now integrating digital technologies and, as a result, the lines between traditional works of art and new media works created using computers has been blurred. For instance, an artist may combine traditional painting with algorithm art and other digital techniques. As a result, defining computer art by its end product can thus be difficult. Computer art is bound to change over time since changes in technology and software directly affect what is possible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autostereogram</span> Visual illusion of 3D scene achieved by unfocusing eyes when viewing specific 2D images

An autostereogram is a two-dimensional (2D) image that can create the optical illusion of a three-dimensional (3D) scene. Autostereograms use only one image to accomplish the effect while normal stereograms require two. The 3D scene in an autostereogram is often unrecognizable until it is viewed properly, unlike typical stereograms. Viewing any kind of stereogram properly may cause the viewer to experience vergence-accommodation conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Béla Julesz</span>

Béla Julesz was a Hungarian-born American visual neuroscientist and experimental psychologist in the fields of visual and auditory perception.

Random-dot stereogram (RDS) is stereo pair of images of random dots which, when viewed with the aid of a stereoscope, or with the eyes focused on a point in front of or behind the images, produces a sensation of depth, with objects appearing to be in front of or behind the display level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclopean image</span>

Cyclopean image is a single mental image of a scene created by the brain through the process of combining two images received from both eyes. The mental process behind the Cyclopean image is crucial to stereo vision. Autostereograms take advantage of this process in order to trick the brain to form an apparent Cyclopean image from seemingly random patterns. These random patterns appear often in daily life such as in art, children's books, and architecture.

Stereopsis is the component of depth perception retrieved through binocular vision. Stereopsis is not the only contributor to depth perception, but it is a major one. Binocular vision happens because each eye receives a different image because they are in slightly different positions on one's head. These positional differences are referred to as "horizontal disparities" or, more generally, "binocular disparities". Disparities are processed in the visual cortex of the brain to yield depth perception. While binocular disparities are naturally present when viewing a real three-dimensional scene with two eyes, they can also be simulated by artificially presenting two different images separately to each eye using a method called stereoscopy. The perception of depth in such cases is also referred to as "stereoscopic depth".

ASCII stereograms are a form of ASCII art based on stereograms to produce the optical illusion of a three-dimensional image by crossing the eyes appropriately using a single image or a pair of images next to each other.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hockney–Falco thesis</span> Theory in art history

The Hockney–Falco thesis is a theory of art history, advanced by artist David Hockney and physicist Charles M. Falco. Both argued that advances in realism and accuracy in the history of Western art since the Renaissance were primarily the result of optical instruments such as the camera obscura, camera lucida, and curved mirrors, rather than solely due to the development of artistic technique and skill. Nineteenth-century artists' use of photography had been well documented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mathematics and art</span> Relationship between mathematics and art

Mathematics and art are related in a variety of ways. Mathematics has itself been described as an art motivated by beauty. Mathematics can be discerned in arts such as music, dance, painting, architecture, sculpture, and textiles. This article focuses, however, on mathematics in the visual arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3D stereo view</span> Enables viewing of objects through any stereo pattern

A 3D stereo view is the viewing of objects through any stereo pattern.

Stereoscopic acuity, also stereoacuity, is the smallest detectable depth difference that can be seen in binocular vision.

Stereoscopic motion, as introduced by Béla Julesz in his book Foundations of Cyclopean Perception of 1971, is a translational motion of figure boundaries defined by changes in binocular disparity over time in a real-life 3D scene, a 3D film or other stereoscopic scene. This translational motion gives rise to a mental representation of three dimensional motion created in the brain on the basis of the binocular motion stimuli. Whereas the motion stimuli as presented to the eyes have a different direction for each eye, the stereoscopic motion is perceived as yet another direction on the basis of the views of both eyes taken together. Stereoscopic motion, as it is perceived by the brain, is also referred to as cyclopean motion, and the processing of visual input that takes place in the visual system relating to stereoscopic motion is called stereoscopic motion processing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrier-grid animation and stereography</span> Animation method

Barrier-grid animation or picket-fence animation is an animation effect created by moving a striped transparent overlay across an interlaced image. The barrier-grid technique originated in the late 1890s, overlapping with the development of parallax stereography (Relièphographie) for 3D autostereograms. The technique has also been used for color-changing pictures, but to a much lesser extent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Octant projection</span> Polyhedral compromise map projection

The octant projection or octants projection, is a type of map projection proposed the first time, in 1508, by Leonardo da Vinci in his Codex Atlanticus. Leonardo's authorship would be demonstrated by Christopher Tyler, who stated "For those projections dated later than 1508, his drawings should be effectively considered the original precursors."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonardo's world map</span>

Leonardo's world map is the name assigned to a unique world map drawn using the "octant projection" and found loosely inserted among a Codex of Leonardo da Vinci preserved in Windsor. It features an early use of the toponym America and incorporates information from the travels of Amerigo Vespucci, published in 1503 and 1505. Additionally, the map depicts the Arctic as an ocean and Antarctica as a continent of about the correct size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute</span> Non-profit organization in San Francisco

The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is a nonprofit research institute in San Francisco, California, with a focus on vision science and rehabilitation engineering. It was founded in 1959 by Arthur Jampolsky and Alan B. Scott, when some members of Stanford University's Ophthalmology Department elected to stay in San Francisco rather than move to Palo Alto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Luis Espejo Pérez</span>

José Luis Espejo Pérez, is a Spanish-language writer specializing in historical essays.

References

  1. 1 2 Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. "Christopher Tyler".
  2. "Magic Eye FAQ". Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. City University of London (31 January 2020). "Christopher Tyler".
  4. "Tyler Lab". Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  5. Christopher Tyler. "website".
  6. Tyler, C. W. (30 July 1999). "NEUROSCIENCE:Enhanced: Is Art Lawful?". Science. 285 (5428): 673–674. doi:10.1126/science.285.5428.673. PMID   10454922. S2CID   142590965.
  7. Tyler, Christopher W. (30 April 1998). "Painters centre one eye in portraits". Nature. 392 (6679): 877–878. Bibcode:1998Natur.392..877T. doi:10.1038/31833. S2CID   205001515.
  8. Sandra Blakeslee (5 May 1998). "In Paintings Eyes, Artists Go Halfway". The New York Times.
  9. 1 2 Tyler, Christopher (2004). "Rosetta Stone? Hockney, Falco and the Sources of "Opticality" in Lorenzo Lotto's "Husband and Wife"". Leonardo. 37 (5): 397–401. doi:10.1162/0024094041955971. JSTOR   1577681. S2CID   57568301.
  10. Statement by Christopher Tyler. "Leavitt, Ruth. 1976. Artist and Computer. New York: Harmony Books".{{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. Referring to Tyler’s statement in Ruth Leavitt’s Computer and Art, Rudolf Arnheim wrote in his 1987 book, New Essays on the Psychology of Art, that he was influenced here by a striking remark he found in an article by a California computer artist, Christopher William Tyler (5, p. 88). Arnheim noted that Tyler observed that "one of the trends of recent art has been the tendency to operate by selecting from an environment entities that have significance to the artist rather than creating from scratch on a tabula rasa … The instruments which are thought of as tools at the disposal of the artist become part of the environment in which the art is produced.” (p. 127) Arnheim, Rudolf (11 March 1986). New Essays on the Psychology of Art. ISBN   9780520907843.
  12. "Art and Optics website".
  13. "Christopher Tyler's Art Investigations".
  14. Octant-projection (art of geography) Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Progonos-map-projections
  16. "Csiss.org-map-projections". Archived from the original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  17. Geological Survey (U.S.) (1988). Bibliography of map projections. U.S. G.P.O. pp. 73–.
  18. 1 2 3 Tyler, C.W. (2017). "Leonardo da Vinci's World Map" (PDF). Journal of the International Map Collector's Society (149 Summer): 21–31.