Gears of War (Kurt Wenner)
I thought I’d do one more unconventional art post for good measure. Today’s underrated medium: sidewalk chalk pictures (or more accurately, “screeving”). A fond childhood memory for many of us, chalk drawings reach far beyond simple hopscotch squares and preschool graffiti. Artists like Kurt Wenner and Julian Beever use the tricky technique of perspective anamorphosis to create worlds within worlds out of nothing but chalk and flat pavement.
Feeding the Fish (Julian Beever)
Working from a single vantage point, these masters of illusion craft giant scenes which appear to plunge into the ground below. The viewer’s eye is fooled into seeing great depth and three dimensions if observed from the proper location. The images are sometimes so convincing that a real person might hop right in and blend seamlessly with their chalky surroundings. Mary Poppins would be proud.