There’s something really magical about a stereogram; in fact, these stunning designs practically come alive with movement. As they tease and surprise our brains, they teach us to look at things differently and make us aware of how our eyes play tricks on us. And, of course, they are simply beautiful to see. Through the power of illusion and the illustrator’s skill, meaningless patterns and hidden objects on a 2-D page take shape and pop out in full, glorious, clearly defined 3-D. Images that were flat gain amazing dimension. These incredible, colorful, artistic creations offer unbelievable motion and depth.

Excerpt

            The word “magical” is often used in describing stereograms. There is, of course, no magic involved. Stereograms use the very same physiological process as regular vision. Nevertheless, it can be quite startling to discover there is an entirely different way to use your eyes than familiar everyday vision. Suddenly, objects or meaningless patterns on a 2D page appear to pop in or out in full 3D. Objects that are entirely invisible emerge as clearly defined 3D images. Flat object arrays that seem perfectly obvious suddenly erupt with hidden dimensions.
            Stereograms were popularized in the mid 1990s in a mania of books, posters, and mass media. The stereogram craze passed, but as the world continues to shrink through digital communication, their magical appeal is pulling in more viewers than ever. It’s wondrous to think it was not that long ago mankind believed in only one way to use their vision.
            The word stereogram may not be readily associated with these addictive 3D illusions, but artists and authors Gene Levine and Gary Priester are. As the best-known stereogram artists in the world, these two artists have covered the globe in 3D through their publications and respective Internet sites, raising stereograms from the visual curiosity of the 1990s to a 21st-century art form.
            Commercial uses take their stereogram art even further: advertising and promotions, book and album covers, greetings, and logos to name just a few. Self-improvement, from meditation to eye-exercise therapies, has also broadened the uses for stereograms.
            Enjoy!
            —Brad Honeycutt, Creative Advisor

About the Author

Gene Levine began colorstereo.com as an online gallery and was soon supplying most of the stereogram art for what would become the very successful TJ Mook series in Japan. He has been published in books and magazines all over the world, along with stereogram advertising and promotional applications. Levine lives in Los Angeles, California.

Gary Priester graduated from Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He spent fifteen years as an art director and later ran a very successful graphics design firm. Priester discovered stereograms in the 1990s and remains as obsessed with the form today as he was then. He has created hundreds of stereograms over the years for a popular Japanese book series, and designs and makes custom versions for advertising and sales promotion. Priester and his wife live in Placitas, New Mexico.