Motion aftereffects in visual art

Motion aftereffects occur when prolonged exposure to a moving visual stimulus causes the perception of motion in a stationary object to momentarily appear to move in the opposite direction. This phenomenon arises from neural adaptation: specific cells in our visual system respond to movement in particular directions. When the movement stops, these cells temporarily become less responsive, creating an imbalance in signals that makes a static scene seem to drift the opposite way. Artists can leverage this effect intentionally to create dynamic or unsettling visuals, playing with viewers’ perception of motion to deepen engagement or evoke specific responses.