Illusion: The Magic of Motion

Did you know that the idea for the camera existed 2,000 years before photography was invented? That the Chinese invented […]

Did you know that the idea for the camera existed 2,000 years before photography was invented? That the Chinese invented eyeglasses 300 years before they appeared in Europe? Or that photographs of a galloping horse captured the stages of motion for the first time? Illusion: The Magic of Motion explores how photography was not suddenly discovered but came about as a result of several centuries of scientific and artistic explorations into light, optics, and perception. Artworks in the exhibition show the invention of cinema, works created through perspective and anamorphosis, the magic of shadow puppets, and how the human eye perceives motion.

Artists in the show include historic photographers Eadweard J. Muybridge, Berenice Abbot, Phillip Leonian, and Harold “Doc” Edgerton, and contemporary photographers Ori Gersht, Eric Dyer, and Luis González Palma.

Financial support is provided by the City of San Diego; the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation; and the Gardner Bilingual Fund.