Optical illusions, trickery of the mind, always highly amusing. Now exhibitions of forced perspective 3D artwork have invaded galleries around the world. Most often seen on the streets of the world 3D art has moved indoors.
An old school optical illusion, Trompe-l’oeil, is the art of giving dimension to 2D artworks. Using large realistic artworks that use light and shadow along with angles and perspective to generate the illusion of depth, 3D.
Recently two 3D exhibitions have returned by popular demand after an extremely positive reception last year. The 2012 Magic Art Special Exhibition held in Hangzhou and the Trick Eye Exhibition in Busan South Korea both drew international attention and large numbers of visitors to their extensive collections of 3D interactive art.
The 2012 Magic Art Special Exhibition Hangzhou, China…
China’s galleries go 3D and it’s more fun than a bag of monkeys with many of the artworks requiring audience participation to complete the 3D effect. A person entering the scene often gives a sense of scale and perspective to the installation. With the participant in place the artwork springs to life, while a dozen cameras of unknown origins flash away. If you don’t like appearing in photo’s don’t jump into the exhibitions.
The 2012 Magic Art exhibition in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang province China, has recently closed (August 6) after entertaining thousands of visitors. The 3D interactive exhibition ran for two weeks with 83 artworks that were commissioned (outsourced) exclusively for the exhibition, with 15 South Korean artists producing the artworks.
With many humorous exhibits there is a definite whimsical style to the overall exhibition. Emphasizing fun and interaction over the demure study of composition that often occurs within gallery walls.
The urinal painting for example, not only does it allow men and women to stand in position at the stalls, but it also depicts three women looking down at those urinating, the left portrait featuring a lady looking down with a magnifying glass! Or the Highpants favourite, the very proper English boy being having his pants pulled down (being pants’d) by multitudes of Chinese visitors.
By all accounts the exhibit was a huge success, not only from an attendance point of view but also judging by the amount of international media coverage. Magic Art is bound to become an annual event, next years will be the third year in a row, third times a charm.
The South Korean Trick Eye Exhibition
Local actress Ngoc Trinh and her South Korean husband Kim Se Hyuk host the Trick Eye exhibition which is entirely made up of their own private collection, kindly put on display for all to enjoy. The exhibition is laid out in a lazy z formation, ample space allowing attendees to move around the interactive exhibits with ease.
As with most interactive 3D art exhibitions the artworks are fun and light hearted. With many pop culture references, giant Angry Birds for example, and the odd visual gag, this is art as entertainment, and it works.
The exhibition runs until mid September at Trick Eye Museum, Nongshim Hotel, Busan. With a huge space dedicated to entertaining artworks the Trick Eye museum is a must visit.
Conclusion
More popular now than ever before 3D forced perspective artworks are making the transition indoors, in the process loosing their temporary chalky nature and becoming more permanent and possible even more interactive.
The current masters of the forced perspective, Julian Beever and Kurt Wenner, are best known for their massive street based artwork. Works that must always be photographed once finished, literally before it blows away in the wind, or washes away with the rain.
As an entertaining art form Trompe-l’oeil has lost non of it’s charms since it’s use by the early masters. To this day chalk street artists always draw a crowd and now entire exhibitions can amuse and interest thousands of visitors.
Article Gallery:Magic Art and Trick Eye Gallery…
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