Kurt Wenner: The Father of 3D Street Art!
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Kurt Wenner
produced his first commissioned mural at the age of sixteen and by that
time he was already earning his living as a graphic artist. With
the ever increasing popularity of Wenner's images, hundreds of artists
around the globe became inspired to create their own versions of
three-dimensional pavement art. Artists such as Julian Beever, Manfred
Stader, and Edgar Muller as well as others can trace their roots back to
his invention in the early 1980s.
By using computer programs or a
simplified geometry to create their illusions they are able to
approximate the effect of Wenner's three-dimensional illusion.
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In the 2000s Wenner first introduced
3-D pavement art at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Shortly after that
he founded the first street painting festival in the United States at
the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, California. The Old Mission festival,
also known as I Madonnari, continues to this day as do many of the
festivals and events Wenner started throughout the country.
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One often-overlooked fact of
Wenner's career is that he dedicated one month every year, for ten
years, to teach more than 100,000 students from elementary through
university level how to work with chalks and pastels. For his
dedication, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion for his
outstanding contribution to arts education.
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In an interview to Business Insider,
Kurt Wenner said: "The three-dimensional street painting is my own
invention. I created it by studying a type of anamorphism that existed
in the 17th century. For several decades artists designed large works to
be seen from one specific point of view.
I was invited to climb the
scaffolding in several churches to see he frescos up close during the
restorations. My own geometry is different from the 17th century works,
and I have not published it. It combines a logical use of linear
perspective with a projection outward from the human eye. Other artists
that emulate the three-dimensional pavement works use a more traditional
geometry called “quadratura” that does not involve complicated
calculations. They do not understand that my geometry is unique."
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Wenner lived in Rome for twenty-five
years before returning to the United States. His work has been seen in
thirty countries and he currently creates work for clients all over the
world.
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