Sean @ Make: Online writes:
Patrick Hughes is a British artist who coined the term ‘reverspective’ to describe his technique of painting a dimensional surface to create an exaggerated 3D effect in his work. The gimmick (which is sort of like the Hollow Face illusion in reverse) combines foreshortening and the fact that his paintings really do extend into the third dimension–just not as much as it seems. If you can’t see one in person, video really helps to understand the effect. Besides this one, shot in the basement of the British Library by Flickr user mariachi2006, there’s a professionally-produced Flash video at Hughes’ website.
My work often takes me to the British Library, and I always make a point of seeing this picture. Fascinating and exactly right for a library! Thanks for the link to the artist’s other works, too.