Perhaps no one better personifies the old adage that there's a fine line between genius and insanity than 20th century Austrian-American mathematician and logician Kurt Godel. Godel (1906-78) is commonly ranked as one of history's intellectual giants, on the order of Aristotle, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein (the latter who was his colleague and friend).  Prominent … Continue reading The Strange, Brilliant Mind of Kurt Godel

You have probably heard how time is slower for someone on a spaceship traveling super fast, and if someone leaves from earth on a light speed spaceship and comes back in 20 earth years, everyone on earth will be twenty older but he will have barely aged. The following is a simple explanation of  Albert Einstein's theory … Continue reading A Simple Explanation of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

The majority of art and collectibles forgers aren't trying to fool museum curators and auction house experts. They're trying to find buyers ignorant and gullible enough to fall for their scams and fakes that that museum curators, auction house objects and seasoned collectors would identify in two seconds. And most people who buy what are … Continue reading The majority of art and collectibles forgers aren’t trying to fool experts

Art Perception by David Cycleback is available in paperback for sale and free download.  Below is the description:"A complex and fascinating question is why do humans have such strong emotional reactions and human connections to art? Why do viewers become scared, even haunted for days, by a movie monster they know doesn't exist? Why do humans … Continue reading ‘Art Perception’ free downloadable textbook

1) Migues de Cervantes (Don Quixote) was captured during battle and made a slave for several years.  He  also had a permanently crippled arm from battle. 2) During his life, JS Bach was better known as a church organist than a composer.  His compositions were considered old fashioned. 3) Telegraph and Morse code inventor Samuel … Continue reading 10 Interesting Facts about Famous Artists

Most art critiquing is trying to force a work into the critic's pet form and shape. The corners of a square peg rhetorically lopped off to make it fit the critic's preferred round hole. One of my favorite stories is about Avalon, Barry Levinson's well regarded 1990 movie about a Polish-Jewish immigrant family's experiences in their … Continue reading Art Criticism as Reflection of the Critic

           Excerpted from the book 'Art Perception' by David Cycleback: "Beyond the West's blue-eyed pale-skinned version, it has long been common for Jesus Christ to be depicted in art as looking like the local people. The old Ethiopian painting on the upper right shows him as black.  The 19th century Chinese … Continue reading Racial Depictions of Jesus Christ in Art

The short philosophy/psychology book Return Trip by David Cycleback was named a finalist for the 2014 Eric Hoffer Award.  The book award is given out by the publisher and the estate of the late Eric Hoffer, the famed American social philosopher and Presidential Medal of Freedom winner. The following is Amazon's description of the book:  " 'Looking at visual … Continue reading David Cycleback’s book Return Trip is 2014 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist