You think you know ambigrams.

So did I, until I started this journey.

Come with me on a fascinating exploration on the world of ambigrams. It seems that we both know too little…

Why?

Artists are drawing ambigrams for more than two decades now. And they’ve created miracles. First, there was the rotational ambigram. Then came the mirror. Then others, and others, and others… and I question, how many types of ambigrams are there? I mean, literally, how many? Does it stop somewhere? Can we somehow invent new types? And what is an ambigram in its very core?

In order to find out how far the ambigram map extends, we need to take a journey. In order to have a good trip though, we need to prepare our baggage.

So, we need to create some rules and follow a method.

But the first thing we need to discover is… what is an ambigram?

What’s an ambigram? Really…

If I ask you what is an ambigram, you will probably say something like “a typographical design that remains legible when it’s subjected to a geometric manipulation, such as rotation or reflection”. Even if this is right, it’s also wrong!

Why’s that, you would say?

Well, my friend, if this definition is right, then what’s a perceptual shift ambigram? Or a figure-ground one? Is there any kind of geometric transformation there? Hehe, gotcha! There is something else going on here.

Without disputing how exactly the definition should be, I leave that for you to decide, I break the core meaning of the ambigram like in these three steps:

• I read something
• Something happens
• I can read it again

The “something happens” part, must be a transformation of some form. Something must change, in order for the viewer to read the ambigram again. This transformation can be a geometric. BUT. It also can be a mind transformation. How the viewer changes perspective. Not literally. He changes how he interprets things. Isn’t this awesome? This is what pushed me in starting this exploration.

Now let’s set some rules, because without rules, there is no freedom.

The rules

Rule number 1: Stay to letters.

Ambigram comes from ambi and gram (greek αμφι and γραμ, from γραφή), which means “write in both ways” or “letter in both ways”. Side note: You already use αμφι in your life. A theater has a U shape. An amphitheater has a full circle shape. It’s αμφι-theater. Theater in both ways. 😉

As said, stay to letters. No images allowed. No pictograms or letters that rotate and create a face. No, no, no. Just letters, any letters, any language, but just letters.

Rule number 2: No legograms.

A rotational ambigram made of legos is not a legogram. If you use pancakes, you do not get to create a pancakegram. The same happens with pencils and pencilgrams. This is just a rotational ambigram. You get the point.

Rule number 3: Keep it simple.

Einstein once said “everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler”. I’m not smarter than Einstein.

Rule number 4: When in doubt, read the rules again.

Or break them. You’re an artist after all!

The method

The method is simple. We are going to lay down the types of ambigrams we are already familiar with, we will find some common parameters that they share, put them in groups and hopefully we will come up with some sort of a table or something else, that will show us what is there and what is yet to be invented.

Just like scientists came up with the periodic table of elements, back then. They did not only structure the known elements grouping them in a way that makes sense, but they also knew there were going to be some elements (i.e. gallium) that were yet to be discovered. And not only that, they could tell in advance what the characteristics of that element would be! I mean, I’m mindblown! Without knowing something, how can you possibly know what this is like?

We are going to do the exact same thing, because we, artists, are awesome!

And you my friend, if you have read this far, you are awesome!

So let’s start the trip!

Basics first

Ok, let’s lay down what we have. Some basic types of ambigrams are: rotational ambigrams, mirror, lakes, symbiotograms, chains, multilingual, figure-ground, perceptual shift.

Are these all types? Are you sure?

Well, not really. I mean, a symbiotogram is a feature. Remember the ambigram core? I can read something, something happens, I can read it again. When a rotational ambigram reads the same word when inverted, you have a homogram. When you read a different word, you have a symbiotogram. Although it’s something useful, a symbiotogram is not a type per se. A mirror ambigram can also be a symbiotogram, for example. We are going to focus on the step 2 “something happens”. THESE are the types. The hard part is to find, what can possibly happen?

So, we are going to put aside the words: symbiotogram (reads differently in step 3), chain ambigram (linked word to itself multiple times), multilingual (different languages in step1 and step3) etc. So we’re left with:

As said before, some of the actual types (rotational, mirror, lake) fall into the category of geometric transformation. Others (figure-ground and perceptual shift) fall into the category of mind transformation. I like to colour the geometric ambigrams blue and the mind ambigrams green.

Now think about it, it’s simple why there are two general categories of ambigrams: geometric and mind. There is the art, and there is the viewer. If “something happens” to the art, then we have a geometric transformation resulting in a geometric ambigram. If “something happens” to the spectator’s mind, we have a mind transformation resulting in a mind ambigram.

There are a lot of questions that come to my mind right now. How many geometric transformations are there?  How many mind transformations are there? These are two completely different studies, but still they are too close, since the result is a form of art we all love, ambigrams. More than that, is there any other horizon that we have not yet discovered or invented? If so, what can possible be out there and noone has ever been?

With all that said, are you ready for the journey?

I hope so, so let’s jump into…

CUT! CUT!

Director: CUT! This intro should not end like this.

V: Why? I’ve already told what I have to say, so…

D: No, no. You have to build more suspense, keep the reader engaged Vassilis! Like, really engaged!

V: So… what do you propose?

D: I don’t know, maybe a promise?

V: Like what promise?

D: Like… hm… like you already have written a hundred of chapters, if this was a novel. Like, you know, the reader would already know that there is more to come and so he could not wait for the next chapter to be released.

V: First, I cannot tell them that I’ve written a HUNDRED of chapters… I’ve written some, but not THIS much! At the end, this is a journey of mine that I write and share with the ambigram community. As I’m experiencing it, I’m publishing it.

D: Tadaaaah!!

V: What?

D: You should not publish it AS you are experiencing it. You should leave them one step behind.

V: What do you mean?

D: You should promise them that each time you publish a chapter, the next one is on the making. This way, they will know that you’ve not reached the end of the story, but  still they won’t know what’s coming next until you release it.

V: Well, that’s an interesting idea! So, they’ll always be on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting the next chapter.

D: Exactly! It’s all about keeping them hooked, hungry for more.

V: It’s all about sharing my experiences with the ambigram artists. AND keeping them hooked. I’ll do that! Thanks.

D: Cool, so what’s next?

V: Let’s dive into geometric ambigrams first.