What is this thing (effect) called?

[Assassin X]

Ok, since I can't find a photo because I don't know its name I uploaded a video I have of it. Its a video of this dragon statue that has this cool 3d effect thing. I can't explain it but when you see it you know what I mean and I'm sure everyone has seen it before. Its a awsome trick it plays on your brain!

Heres the video (only 1.7MB), scroll to bottom and click FREE to download!:
http://rapidshare.de/files/9488428/1.wmv.html

Once you watch it can you tell me what those kind of "effects" are called? I want to buy that statue specificly and more like it!

Thanks!

[Mezurashi]

there are two things I can see at work. The first is Forced Perspective, like the 'optical illusions' done by putting one person further away than the other to make one look gigantic. The second is the stuff Escher capitalized on, I forget the exact term, where the eye fills in 'known' details based on the way things 'work' normally (like depth perception, regression and so forth).

Very neat sculpture, I wonder if they sell those in Canada? I'd hate to have to try and figure it out on my own ...

[liberdave]

http://www.grand-illusions.com/hollowface.htm
http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/fcs_hollow-face/ <--good site w/ vids!
This is called the Hollow Face Illusion, a quick google brought these neat sites.
It's neat how the brain will actually take over perception... Hopefully later on today I'll post this article from one of my physical science text books that shows how a little part of your eye "thinks".

Here's the scans I was talking about, print them if you can and try them yourself!

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/liberdave1138/Scan0001.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/liberdave1138/Scan0001A.jpg

[Sammy56]

Wow. Those are really awesome videos. I think have something like that dragon would creep me out though. I'd get paranoid that it was watching me.