edgar mueller and 3D pavement art

“Edgar Müller opened a studio in the street. He presents people with the great works of old masters, drawing his perfect copies at the observers’ feet. Müller invites his audience to share his fascination with the old masters art, helping them to gain an in depth understanding of the old master’s view of the world.”

Can you briefly talk about the process of your work? What is the most difficult part in your work?

“To describe the process briefly is kind of impossible. However, there is one main perspective law which is an important base to construct a 3D street painting. If you have a look around and keep an eye on all verticals you see (for instance trees or streetlights) you may recognize that their extensions all meet at your feet or – if you are sitting – under your but. So if you choose a spot and fix a cord on it you can use it as a ruler for all the verticals in the painting. That’s the reason why every anamorphic street painting only makes sense from one specific spot – where all verticals meet. The difficult part is to find out the right distortion in length. The more you go up the painting the longer the distortion should be. It is not a linear stretching. I always go to the right spot and check what I’m doing there.”

What happens if it’s raining?

“This is probably the most frequently asked question. My answer is: Then I leave and paint a new picture tomorrow. This is often the best thing the street painters can do, because even a few drops can destroy a picture in seconds which often needed days to be painted. There are ways to protect the image, such as cover it with plastic tarpaulin or on street painting competitions even through most adventurous tent structures.”

You can find the rest of the FAQ on his website.