Who decides which optical illusion will be the next internet hit? That’s what I want to know. One day it’s a ridiculous conundrum involving a dress which is so obviously gold – yet some idiots think it’s blue – and then today you get this, a skew line illusion. Yay!

According to TIME (yes, that’s how far this thing has gone):

The illusion was created by artist Victoria Skye, and shared by Twitter user @martinstaylor. It appears to show a series of horizontal lines arranged at an angle. The trick is that all the lines are straight, even though it really doesn’t look like it. The image quickly took the internet by storm.

Well done, Victoria.

Let’s have a look (the ‘reveal’).

OK great – they’re straight, but they look skew – like some of my mates.

But there’s a bigger issue at hand here. I’d even go as far as calling it the elephant in the room. And that’s this – why are these people spending time making optical illusions? Does Victoria Skye get money out of this? No. Does anyone pay to see it? No. Do you win money if your optical illusion is really clever or goes viral? No.

Is this all Victoria does, or is it a hobby?

Is Victoria happy?

Oh my God, I just Googled her and, besides all the press she’s received about this silly doodle, she also has a website. HERE. She is a ‘magical entertainer’ and ‘illusion artist’.

It doesn’t say if she is a wicken or anything.

Some accolades:

• Victoria Skye Original Face/Vase Illusion published in the Scientific American Mind Magazine May/June 2011
• Victoria Skye Original Face/Vase Optical Illusion Mentioned in Magic Blog
• Victoria Skye Original Face/Vase Illusion mentioned on James Randi’s website
• Acknowledged in the book “Sleights of Mind” for expertise in children’s magic.
• Acknowledged in Scientific American Mind Magazine July/August 2012 for Starbucks coffee cup sleeve Jastrow illusion contribution.

Victoria is going to be busy today, listing all the publications that have published her latest illusion.

Aah, I see now she does make money – she does magic at birthday parties and magic classes. Cool, man.

She also does balloons, so..

I take back everything I said – Victoria, this is your moment to shine. Enjoy it.

[source:time]