The Impossible Arises

The Impossible Arises explores the life and work of Oscar Reutersvrd (19162002), founder of the Impossible Figures movement. The movement began in Stockholm in 1934 when eighteen-year-old Reutersvrd drew the first impossible triangle. Over the course of his life he would go on to draw around 4000 impossible figures and be honored by the Swedish government with an issue of stamps showing his work. Based on a large collection of Reutersvrd's art and correspondence held at the Lilly Library at Indiana University Bloomington, the lavishly illustrated Impossible Arises examines the evolution of Reutersvrd's impossible figures and how they influenced other modern artists in the later twentieth century. The Impossible Arises offers a detailed look at the philosophy guiding Reutersvrd's art and presents a rich array of stories from his eccentric personal life. It is an essential introduction to the life and career of one of the most fascinating artists of the twentieth century.