The three-dimensional world becomes a two-dimensional arrangement of shapes.
Objects that are physically separated may appear to touch.
Different body parts may align so closely that their outlines become difficult to distinguish.
And when clothing, shadows, skin tones, or background colors blend together, the brain may struggle to identify where one form ends and another begins.
This creates an opportunity for a visual illusion.
What appears anatomically impossible may actually be a perfectly ordinary arrangement viewed from an unusual angle.
The photograph has not necessarily changed anything about reality.
It has simply captured reality in a way that makes it difficult to interpret.
The Strange Power of Overlapping Bodies
One of the most interesting aspects of photographs involving multiple people is the way their bodies can visually merge.
