Wednesday, April 21, 2010

SIDEWALK CHALK ART

 
 
In 1984, Kurt Wenner invented an art form all his own that has come to be known as anamorphic or illusionistic street painting. The form of perspective known as anamorphism was used by the great European Masters to give the illusion of soaring architecture and floating figures in ceiling frescoes. Wenner adjusted this geometry to create compositions that seemed to rise from and fall into the ground.
 

In anamorphic perspective, painted forms appear as three-dimensional when viewed from one point in space. Wenner created a special pictorial geometry that corrected the specific distortion caused by viewing his large images at an oblique angle.

“My paintings invite rediscovery of many artistic traditions, as I borrow from mythology, allegory, literature, and theater. And even if viewers cannot reference the story it tells, they sense that one exists, thus stimulating their curiosity. I enjoy teasing my audience with a wealth of allusions — historical, stylistic, and perceptual.curiosityFrom the beginning of my career, my main artistic motivation was to rediscover, transform and share neglected ideas from the past."
 
 
Click on pics for bigger sizes!

More info on this artist can be found here