Art and Artists Sidewalk Art

¶ … Art and artists [...] sidewalk art of Julian Beever. Beever's work is one of the most interesting types of art, as his canvas is the pavement, and his work disappears after a rain or people walk on it. Pavement art is literally created on sidewalks, courtyards, and other public places for people to enjoy for a limited amount of time. Created with chalk, they will eventually disappear, leaving nothing to remember them.

This pavement art is amazingly realistic, but more than that, Beever has the ability to make the images seem as if they are three-dimensional, often seeming to reach right out of the pavement, or dig down into it. Beever has worked in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Denmark, the U.S.A. And Australia.

To see his work is to see something incredibly unique and fresh, and it makes the viewer wonder just how he manages to do it! Many people call this type of artwork trompe-l'œil, which uses extremely realistic images to create optical illusions. Much of his work certainly falls into this category, but he does work in other mediums, such as murals and oil paintings. However, most of his most well-known works are pavement art in the trompe-l'œil style.

It exemplifies the postmodern ideas of humor and instability quite perfectly. Almost all of Beever's works are humorous and amusing. They are almost cartoon-like in their execution, and when they include human figures, the figures are often exaggerated or comic, rather than serious and realistic. However, there are elements of realism in his works too, from the delicate shading and lighting effects he creates to the very detailed portraits he has created of figures as diverse as Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth I.

In addition, his works are certainly instable, in that they are not permanent works of art, but only last for a very short time. Unusual and interesting, they pull the viewer into the piece and make them want to know more about the artist and his views. Two examples of his work indicate the depth of his abilities and 3-D techniques.

One, "Swimming Pool in the High Street," looks remarkably like a swimming pool dug into the pavement, complete with a bathing beauty extending her leg out of the pool into the air. Along the edge of the pool are her refreshments and shoes waiting for her to claim them. The detail in this work is amazing, the water even looks three-dimensional and clear, and there is even a life preserving "floating" on the surface.

The artist often poses with his work, acting as if he is a "part" of the piece. In this photo, he creates a bit of performance art by acting as if he is going to climb into the pool with the woman. He uses vivid colors of chalk for his drawings, which makes them all the more rich and detailed, and makes them pop off the pavement, adding to their reality. Looking at this painting, the viewer would swear the pavement had been dug out, it is that very real.

In "Arctic Street Conditions with Soft Drink," a seal seems to be emerging from an ice pack, balancing a can of soda on its' nose. The detail in the ice makes it seem to be rising out of the pavement, with nooks and crannies that seem to be digging into the pavement at the same time. There are also blocks of ice "stacked" on top of the main ice pack, and a careful study indicates just how the artist creates these 3-D masterpieces. The "slice" of ice on the right.