Interlaced is a study of human vision. It uses digital tools to create a physical experience. The artwork is a static print on aluminum, but the viewer activates it.
The image merges three distinct layers: two different skies and one water wave pattern. These layers are digitally interlaced. The human eye cannot process all three layers at once. Instead, the brain must select one image to be primary.
The viewer controls this selection through mental focus. One sky, the second sky, or the waves will snap into focus while the others recede. As the mind toggles between these layers, the image appears to flip or shimmer. This effect shows how the brain edits what we see. It reveals that seeing is an active choice rather than a passive recording.
The work sits between digital engineering and biological reaction. It invites the viewer to watch their own mind construct a reality. It is a study of how we navigate a sea of data to find a single ‘truth’.
Technical Details
The process begins with photographic source images: several skies and one water wave pattern. Adobe Photoshop is used to convert the water waves into a high-contrast, black-and-white pattern of vertical stripes. This pattern is imported into Adobe Illustrator as a vector file.
The vector pattern acts as a mask to interlace the two sky images. This is an iterative process. Different cloud and sky combinations are tested to ensure the correct level of contrast. The right amount of contrast between the interlaced lines is necessary for the optical effect to work.
Narrow sections of the original sky images are placed on the left and right edges of the final piece. These “stubs” act as visual hooks. They help the viewer identify and follow each set of cloud shapes through the interlaced center.
Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator.
Hardware: Digital UV printer (for output on aluminum).
Dimensions/Specifications
Dimensions: 42” wide x 28” high (approx. 107 x 71 cm).
Media: UV-cured ink on white-coated aluminum panel.
Mounting: White wood float frame.
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