Paving the way for art

However,last weekend,Vasu was able to create one such work himself at Growel’s 101 Mall in Mumbai’s Kandivali. A reproduction of one of Wenner’s popular works,the painting is reminiscent of ancient Italian art and might as well be in a museum in Rome. This is Vasu’s second large-scale work to be shown to the public.

Popularly known today as 3D pavement/street/chalk art,this form of art was first introduced in the early ’80s by US-based Wenner. Last November,the Guinness World Record for the largest and longest 3D street/pavement artwork was set in London by a team of artists called Joe Hill and Max Lowry. At the very centre of the painting was a steep,icy waterfall,surrounded by icy cliffs and crevices. The sheer size and intricacy of the work attracted a great deal of attention from all quarters of the world,including some of the best-known 3D street artists.

The most commonly used medium to create this sort of art is chalk,but some artists also work with acrylic paint or crayons. When viewed from most angles,the work will appear to be 2D,like anything else painted on a pavement. However,when seen from one designated,“correct” angle,the work transforms into the three-dimensional piece it is meant to be.

But much like the very concept of 3D street art itself,not many people in India have heard about 3D paintings. Despite the gradually increasing popularity of 3D street art in Europe and the US since it burst into collective consciousness three decades ago,it continues to remain largely unknown and unpractised in India,save for a few artists like Vasu.

Before Vasu’s work came up at the Kandivali mall,3D street art drew attention in the city in February,when two American artists visited IIT Bombay for its Techfest. Anthony Cappetto,founder of a company called Art for After Hours that focuses entirely on 3D chalk art,was invited to IIT by the Techfest committee with his colleague Shawn

McCann. The two artists created three large 3D chalk works for the Fest,following which Cappetto travelled to IIT Roorkee,Uttarakhand,for another 3D street art project.

The lack of 3D street artists in India is curious,for when a work of this genre is shown anywhere in the country,it’s met with much enthusiasm. “There is a great deal of amazement when people see this form of art,” says Vasu,whose first such work was displayed in Alleppey,Kerala,on a walkway by the beach.

Cappetto,who has exhibited his work in various parts of the world,including Hong Kong,Dubai,Mexico and South America,found that when he came to India,people were just as appreciative of his work. However,not many Indians had ever seen such work before. “There were many people who knew of 3D chalk art via the internet,but almost no one had actually seen it live,” he says.

Ranchi-based sculptor Vishal Bansal makes similar observations. “The art form is still to pick up in India but the audience are definitely interested,” says Bansal,who learned the technique watching the renowned 3D street artist Tracy Lee Stum during her visit to Orissa earlier this year. He has painted a number of such works already,including one at the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

The challenges,according to Bansal,are plenty. “Its inherent temporary nature is a deterrent. One puts in a lot of time and energy and the work fades away in some days.

Moreover,it cannot be moved,so the artist has to travel to each place where he/she wants to show the work.” (With inputs from Vandana Kalra)