Fa-sci-na-ting! I passed by the Paris town hall today, where they currently have an open air exhibit about Paris trees (there are 485 000 of them!). On top of the various - very interesting - explanations, they also installed an anamorphosis work of art by François Abelanet. Anamorphosis? Let me borrow Wikipedia's definition: " it's a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image." Well, since an image is worth a 100 words, click here, you'll see that what you get in this photo is not really what you see! More, in French, on the Paris Website.
This is very tricky, Eric! I can't quite figure out what I'm looking at when compared to the second photo. I wish I could see this cool thing in person!
ReplyDeleteThe church of Sant'Ignazio in Rome has a marvelous trompe l'oeil "dome" painting, which isn't a dome at all. It is an anamorphosis: when you view the faux dome from the church entry, it looks perfect. Walk in, and to the side of the nave, and you see it's a complete fake! Fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThat certainly is a fascinating piece of art, it reflects life so well in that 'it's all in the way you look at something'..I love it!!
ReplyDeleteFascinating! After looking at the Paris website, I'm thinking it's also much bigger than it appears here.
ReplyDeleteWho decides what interesting things they're going to do at the City Hall? Can I get on that committee??
I think that my head just exploded.
ReplyDeleteHuh??? That is WILD!
ReplyDeleteHans Holbein did the same thing in his painting called The Ambassadors in the National Gallery in London
Very interesting. Have to find out more later today, must hurry to my work. Have a nice day everybody !
ReplyDeleteIt is very appealing, Eric. A head-scratcher! Looks like they have to keep it watered nicely as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a puzzle . Thanks for the
ReplyDeleteafter and before perspectives.
I recently saw a few pictures of the "making of" this work. 80 gardeners were employed 24/24 for several days, and the form was "drawn" in 3D with laser beams, to make sure the end result would be perfect!
ReplyDeleteJeff, I remember Sant'Ignazio... Fascinating!
I'll have to check it by myself for it is really wild (as Phx-cdg already said) ! I don't get it all with the photos.
ReplyDeleteVery fascinating! I would love to see it with my own eyes. How long will this exhibition be there?
ReplyDeleteDear Eric
ReplyDeleteWhere exactly is this Paris town hall , is it close to les halles??
is it the same place where an ice skating rink is installed during winters??
@Anonymous. Yes exactly at the same place the ice rink was.
ReplyDeleteI'd say this is both amazing and not amazing...! But I really have to go there.
ReplyDeleteI love it! That is so interesting. You would have to walk around it to find the perfect vantage, wouldn't you? I wonder, is this the only angle that is "correct" for viewing?
ReplyDeleteI love it too!! The difference between the two photos is very mysterious. What to think about an optical illusion? Is that mean that we must not be sure of anything we see, behind a screen...? This is somewhere a bit disturbing, isn't it? But well, I'm used to mysterious questions to which I don't know if I'd ever have an answer ;)...
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of my paycheck....looks big, but when I get to the right angle, it is in fact very small.
ReplyDeleteSean
We walked right through it and didn't realize what it was! We approached it from the west, so we didn't see it from that angle. Too bad!k
ReplyDeleteYou can take the k off of my comment. i'm typing too fast!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. It reminds me of pictures drawn on streets that look like people climbing out of a hole, and similar scenes. You have to be at just the right angle to see the effect. More anamorphic illusions: http://www.julianbeever.net/newt.html
ReplyDeleteBest be aware of all and any optical illusion ;)
ReplyDeleteI went there tonight. This is amazing, I do confirm!
ReplyDeleteI did not see the form like that with my eyes whereas in the same time and at the same place, the photo I took, looks exactly like yours, eric. I obtained a photo totally different from what I was looking at !!! This is pretty questionning :) To be honest it is nicer in the photo but the whole spot is interesting to see.
Where exactly is this Paris town hall , is it close to les halles??
ReplyDeleteis it the same place where an ice skating rink is installed during winters..