This 3D illusion art by street artist Julian Beever got me thinking about perspective and point of view (POV). It is a piece of art that only looks impressive from one POV. You have to be standing in just the right spot (and ideally looking through a camera lens) for it to shine.
First of all, I’m deeply impressed that anyone can figure out how to draw something in a warped way so it looks right from a certain POV. Aside from that, however, let’s think about this for a moment. Doesn’t all art require a certain subjective position to be appreciated?
Art that expresses one lifestyle or emotional point of view may be distasteful to those who hold different values. Art that resists the established authority is courageous and true to the citizens but dangerous and threatening to the authority. Children’s books are shallow and simple when viewed by an adult. Speculative fiction is a waste of time to those who prefer fiction they can imagine might actually happen to them.
What art have we dismissed because we simply aren’t standing in the right spot to appreciate it? Maybe that art isn’t meant for us. That doesn’t mean it’s not art.
What do you think? What art have you rejected lately?
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