3D art magic!

Originating in Italy in the mid 16th century, 3D pavement art has come a long way, not only in terms of the techniques used, but also with regard to the designs. Though the art form is till now quite uncommon in India, it is a common form of street painting in parts of Europe. But thanks to artist Sivadas, Mumbaikars can enjoy this unique art form now.

Recently, the artist, one of the few 3D artists in India, created one of his 3D pavement paintings at a suburban mall, and it caught the curiosity of many as it lay spread over a 200 square feet area. Talking about the art form Sivadas says, “I have been experimenting with this art form for the past four years. Though I have been doing portrait art as a hobby for a long time, I used to wonder how three- dimensional effects can be achieved in paintings which led me to surf the internet to see if it was being done by anyone else. I then stumbled across this unique form of street art being practiced in Europe by artists like Kurn Wenner and Julian Beever, which totally captivated me. Kurt Wenner is actually considered the founder of the modern form of 3D Pavement Art.”

So how does he work on his creation? “Chalk is commonly used. But depending on the surface and size, the medium can be either crayons or acrylic paint,” he says. This was not the first time that the artist has created a 3D painting, “The first large size pavement work I created was displayed in my hometown Alleppey in Kerala on a walkway by the beach. There is a lot of amazement when people see this art. You would probably pass by an installation without noticing anything unique about it, but when you observe it through a camera lens from the marked viewing point, the effect is totally different. People have been very appreciative and also curious about how it is done. I especially, get a lot of queries on the techniques used to achieve the 3-dimensional effect.