BEAUTIFUL PERCEPTIONS ON THE STREET NOW

Art, like life, is a matter of perception. And whether it’s attempting to mimic reality or divert us from it, visual art is an optical illusion.

Today, we are featuring recent works of 2 artists who excel in 3D Pavement Art, an artform that has become popular in the past few decades.

Also known as anamorphic or illusionistic art, the artists who master it are known as 'maestro madonnari' (master street painters). There are only a few with that title worldwide. The title is awarded at the world’s largest street painting festival, “The Grazie Festival,” held in Grazie, Italy.

KURT WENNER

With a fusion of passions, from earth to sky, and beyond, artist Kurt Wenner is a master of illusory sidewalk art. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design before working as a space illustrator for NASA. He then went on to immerse in Renaissance art studies in Italy and across Europe.

To finance his travels and studies, Wenner became a madonnaro, creating elaborate chalk paintings on the streets of Rome. Within several years he won numerous gold medals at European competitions and became officially recognized as a master of this art form.

Wenner’s geometry was inspired by the great Roman baroque ceilings of the 17th century. He then figured out how to translate it to create illusion on a sidewalk surface which is viewed more closely at an oblique angle.

While Wenner creates all his artwork by hand, he uses digital technology to produce images that are suitable for permanent and interactive displays.

Today all artists creating 3D pavement artworks can trace its origins back to Wenner’s techniques.

Wenner and his work was featured in National Geographic’s award-winning documentary “Masterpieces in Chalk.”

EDGAR MÜLLER

German artist Edgar Müller began painting when he was a child, growing up in the rural city of Straelen, on the western edge of Germany. On his way to school each day, in the neighboring town of Geldern, he passed the works of street painters, vying for international competition prizes. He became inspired.

Müller first entered competition at the age of 16 and won! He has continued to compete. Müller now travels all over Europe, making a living with his transitory art. 

He gives workshops at schools and advises a number of street art festivals. Müller also founded an Internet board for street painters to serve as a forum designed to promote solidarity among international street painters.

Müller hopes to inspire his audiences and helped them to gain a better understanding and appreciation for the old masters’ perceptions of the world. 

While he has taken some courses with well-known artists, Müller is mostly self-taught. While he is guided by old masters’ techniques, he is also pursuing his own style.

Müller’s renderings tend to be more simple and graphic. He favors works that span large urban areas, where he can challenge the perceptions of many passers-by.

Read more about Beautiful Perceptions this week.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “The Crevasse,” by Edgar Müller.
2. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “Reflections,” by Kurt Wenner. SWF (Swiss-German) Documentary. Grazie di Curtatone, Italy.
3. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “The Muses,” by Kurt Wenner.
4. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “Iskandar,” by Kurt Wenner.
5. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “Wild Rodeo,” by Kurt Wenner.
6. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “Woman Driver,” by Kurt Wenner. Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, International Circuit. Bahrain.
7. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “Waterfall,” by Edgar Müller.
8. Image: by Phillipe Lopez. Courtesy of Edgar Müller. Largest 3D Painting in the World, by Edgar Müller.
9. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “The Tree,” by Edgar Müller.
10. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “Lava Burst,” by Edgar Müller.
11. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “Plasma,” by Edgar Müller.
12. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. “The Crevasse,” Edgar Müller.
13. Image: Courtesy of Edgar Müller. Street art, by Edgar Müller.
14. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. Kurt Wenner with his art.
15. mage: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: Courtesy of Kurt Wenner. “Tall Ship,” by Kurt Wenner.