Anamorphism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A transformation in which a distorted image is resolved into a recognizable form when viewed from a specific angle or through a certain medium
2. A visual effect created by manipulating perspective so that a figure appears variously dependent on the viewer’s position
3. An artistic representation that requires a particular viewpoint to reconstruct the intended shape or image from an otherwise abstract distortion

Etymology: Anamorphism is a compound built from two Greek-derived parts. The first, "ana-", comes from the Greek "ană", meaning "up" or "back" (and in combination, "again" or "anew"), and the second is "morphism", from the Greek "morphē", meaning "form" or "shape." Put together, the parts point to a form that has been reshaped or stretched out of its normal proportions. The word fits that literal sense well. An anamorphic image is drawn distorted on purpose, so that it looks like an ordinary picture only when viewed from a particular angle or with a particular device, such as a mirror or a cylinder. The distortion is the point: the figure appears deformed or dependent on where the viewer stands, and the same drawing resolves into a recognisable form only from that vantage point.

Synonyms: image distortion, anamorphosis