M. C. Escher in Popular Culture - Pop Culture References To Other Works

Pop Culture References To Other Works

• The Doctor Who episode "Castrovalva" takes its name from Escher's early lithograph of the same name, though Escher's view of Castrovalva has none of the paradoxical elements of his later works to which the setting of the episode could more readily be compared.
• Eric Shanower's illustrations of the Absurd City in Paradox in Oz are clearly based on Escher's illustrations.
• Sheila Chandra included a piece called "Escher's Triangle" on her CD Roots and Wings - the title refers to Escher's use of the Penrose triangle in pictures like Waterfall.
• The bonus stages of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game, for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, feature an animated background of birds turning into fish, a reference to

Sky and Water.

• The early nineties rock music group Chagall Guevara wrote a song called "Escher's World" which made many references to the impossible structures that can be found in Escher's work.
• Escher is also the subject of a song by the rock group The Breakfast. The song is called "Escher's Etchings" and is included on their 2003 live album Bona Fide. The lyrics can be read here
• The music video for "Drive" by Incubus is based on Drawing Hands, beginning with an animated hand drawing a piece of paper and second hand to form the actual Escher drawing. It also shows the hand drawing lead singer Brandon Boyd to attach itself to. All drawings in the video were done by the band members themselves.
• A comic crossover between Mike Allred's Madman and Bernie Mireault's The Jam, features Escher as a central character when the two characters enter into an alternate universe created by a somewhat godlike Escher, based on many of his works.
• "Escher" is the title of a song by the British band Teenage Fanclub. The song is about a man who doesn't know if he is up or down.
• "Weird Al" Yankovic's 2006 song, "White & Nerdy" contains the lyrics "M.C. Escher—that's my favorite MC."
• In 2006 Audi released a commercial with many Escher-inspired scenes.
• In the film Donnie Darko, the poster on Donnie's bedroom wall is M.C. Escher's "Eye".
• In the film The Quiet Earth, Escher's Another World is seen on the wall of Zac Hobson's home during the surrealistic 'Effect Tremor' sequence. Given the subject matter of the film, the presence of the artwork is akin to a sly in-joke.
• In the Psygnosis game "Lemmings", the 18th level of "Taxing" is named "Tribute to M.C. Escher", as the level is seemingly impossible.
• Mott the Hoople's debut album's cover was Escher's Lizards.
• The Flight of the Conchords song "Inner City Pressure" contains the lyrics, "You've lost perspective like a picture by Escher".
• On the Joy Electric album, My Grandfather, the Cubist, there is a song titled "Draw For Me, M.C. Escher".
• On the SyFy show Warehouse 13, Escher is said by the character Leena to be one of the architects, along with Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, who designed the Warehouse. There is also the Escher Vault, the design of which is similar to the lithograph Relativity. Inside this vault, the stairwells and walls are constantly moving. Anyone not wearing specially designed glasses run the risk of being lost forever once inside. H.G. Wells is the only known individual to have successfully navigated the Escher Vault without glasses, instead using her Inperceptor Vest to retrieve personal items stored within.
• In the video game God of War III, the puzzle "Hera's Garden" is based on Escher's Waterfall.
• In the 2010 science fiction film Inception, where Arthur gives Ariadne a tour of the dream world in which an Escher design can be seen faintly in the background.
• In the 2010 Action/Adventure video game Dante's Inferno, the final part of the third circle, Gluttony, is depicted as a structure similar to the one featured in Another World, which the player must traverse in order to proceed to the next circle.
• In addition to its "Paris folding" sequence, mentioned above, the film Inception also depicts two versions of the Penrose stairs, used by Escher in Ascending and Descending. In both occasions, the stairs are referred to as a paradox.
• The title card for the Fairly OddParents episode "Deja Vu" depicted two hands in the same position as those in the print Drawing Hands.
• Mad TV featured the character of M.C. Escher, a "hardcore" rapper whose music was heavily censored on MTV.
• In the 30 Rock episode "Christmas Attack Zone", Jack Donaghy sends Liz Lemon into a wing of his apartment designed by Escher to temporarily confound her.
• Progressive/fusion German band Kraan entitled the second track from their first LP "M.C. Escher"
• Germand jam band United Jazz + Rock Ensemble entitled one of their tracks "Steps of M.C. Escher"