Taking It To The Curb

A while back I remember coming across a video on Youtube about an artist named Julian Beever. His work, unlike what you usually see in museums, is done entirely using chalk using the pavement as his canvas.

Here’s one of his pieces:

Don’t be fooled. There really isn’t a river in the middle of the street. It’s just an optical illusion. In fact, you have to see the work through the lens of a camera in order to get the illusion to work. According to Julian, a camera “limits the brains ability to judge distance.” Without the lens, his art wouldn’t come to life.

Now you may also be wondering what happens to his work after it is completed. The answer is that it will eventually erase with time and rain. However, Youtube and the pictures other people take make his work truly everlasting.


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2 Responses to Taking It To The Curb

  1. esmaldone says:

    I’ve seen this. Aside from the fact that the art is very skillfully drawn, there is a subtle statement being made about the function of art and the way art can change the way we see reality. Art that changes the way you think and see (or hear, or feel) is valuable art.

  2. Alexandra Nicoletti says:

    I never realized that this kind of art required additional technology in order to get the full effect! It’s interesting that elements of modern development are being incorporated with art – something so traditional.

    It’s true that picture and video can immortalize art. However, there is a sad truth within such a fact. I personally find it upsetting when an artistic work dies because it cannot continuously live through those who embrace it. When I compose a piece of music, I treasure the pages I write which caress each note I can mentally hear. Yet, I know that it would trouble me if I lost the pages music, or if people forgot about it (if it were well known). Art that is not permanently tangible has a greater risk of being forgotten, unfortunately, because it cannot always be around to serve as a reminder of its presence.

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