Blu is what we can call an expert in wall and mural painting. You probably have seen some of his works as they have a wide circulation on the Internet. In this post I want to share a video of an animation entirely done on public walls. The video description on YouTube states it was made in Buenos Aires and Baden. As you might know, stop-motion is a very time consuming animation technique, because it’s done frame-by-frame, so I’m wondering the huge amounts of work (i.e. time) involved when you choose a wall as your animation surface. Well, the result shure is impressing! Even if you find it somewhat weird, I think it’s well worth your time.
You can check Blu’s website and blog for a look on his other brilliant drawings. He also released a book with his productions from 2004 to 2007, which you can find here.
Stephen Wiltshire is a British architectural artist who happens to be an autistic savant. The savant syndrome first received worldwide attention with the award winning film Rain Man, more specifically with the character portrayed by Dustin Hoffman. In the words of Darold A. Treffert, a researcher who studied it for years: “Savant syndrome is a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some ‘island of genius’ that stands in marked, incongruous contrast to overall handicap.” He also states that a common trait among savants is a remarkable memory he describes as “exceedingly deep but very, very narrow”. You can read more about this condition on Dr. Treffert’s website.
Although Stephen Wiltshire possesses great painting and drawing skills, his most uncommon prowess is to draw entire landscapes just by looking at them, once! In May 2005 he did a 30 minute helicopter flight over Tokyo. After that he spent the following days working on a giant canvas drawing a panoramic view of the city completely from memory. The result was astonishing! He has since been invited to do the same on other cities across the world, namely: Rome, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dubai, Jerusalem and London. Everything from memory with exceptional detail. Undoubtedly an amazing feat of the mind! It’s easy to understand why he has been nicknamed “the living camera”.
I checked on YouTube for some videos on this and, as usual, they’re easy to find. I selected one from Tokyo and other from Rome, but there’s more to watch. I also recommend you to visit his website to find additional information together with galleries displaying his work. I personally find the oil on canvas paintings stunning. If you happen to be in London and wish to see his work live and with greater detail you can visit the Royal Opera Arcade where he opened a permanent gallery in 2006.
