Light Touch
The Endless Corridor
A historical tour of the optical illusion in which two parallel-facing mirrors create an endless, repeating effect.
An infinity mirror room by artist Yayoi Kusama, on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada. [Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images]
To me, one of the most memorable cartoons by Charles Addams is one featuring a man getting a haircut in a barbershop that has large mirrors on opposing walls to let the customers see themselves from both sides. The customer’s reflection, alternating between forward and backward in an infinite line of figures, is inexplicably interrupted by a demon’s face where the customer’s should be. Funny? Perhaps not. Intriguing? Absolutely.
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