Media Reviews
Quite astonishing.--Bill Robertson Halifax Star Phoenix (12/18/2010)
British artist Julian Beever uses his illustrative skills simply to please and to make a nice living. How could he not succeed with chalk drawings that transform sidewalks into stunning three-dimensional panoramas? Under his eye and masterful hand, a sidewalk in Cologne becomes a lily pond with newts staring from underwater. In Mexico City, a gigantic Monarch butterfly rises from the concrete. In Montreal...a sidewalk waterfall flows. Virtually every photo in Pavement Chalk Artist elicits a wow, especially when Beever interacts with the... An engaging writer, Beever began his street entertainer career as a juggler and puppeteer, but became a pavement artist because they could move from place to place with only a box of chalk. He and his chalk box have globe trotted with popular success (only in London did a policeman request to see a permit). Beever also reveals his anamorphic drawing technique for achieving perspective. Easier appreciated than done.-- (12/11/2010)
His fantastic works exist for only a short period of time, as they succumb to the elements. Viewed from a specific position to create the 3D-effect, Beever's creations have a vertigo-inducing impression. Beever provides fascinating background information on his approach and specific challenges that came up on some of his projects. Adding to the performance aspect of his work, Beever appears in many of the photographs as an active element in the final piece.-- (12/19/2010)
Artists have been employing trompe l'oeil (fool the eye) for centuries, which makes the viewer see an object in perspective rather than as a flat or two-dimensional work. But you will be astonished at what Beever has created with chalk and will marvel at his explanations of how he created his public works all over the world. This is fascinating.-- (12/02/2010)
Bet ya thought we couldn't find a 3D hook for our books page, too, didn't ya? Ha! Wrong you are, 2D breath! An incredible pavement chalk artist named Julian Beever has been wowing crowds in Europe and America for years. His 3D anamorphic drawings on walkways and parking lots make little visual sense--indeed, they are greatly disorted--from any viewpoint, except that of his camera. And those photographs are dazzling.-- (12/26/2010)
I can imagine myself getting caught all candid camera-like, avoiding holes in the sidewalk or reaching for things that are not there. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, so this stuff is beyond me. But if, like me, you are mesmerized by this kind of art, you need to check out Pavement Chalk Artist.-- (10/13/2010)
Artists are constantly looking for new means of creating and capturing their visual audience. Julian Beever is one such person who brings awe and delight through his amazing chalk pavement drawings. Beever, a British artist, has been creating his unique, temporary masterpieces since the mid-1990s. He demonstrates that art can be fleeting, yet still have a long-lasting impact.-- (09/09/2010)
[starred review] With these 58 chalk drawings, street artist Beever takes us around the world--to Brussels, Istanbul, London, Tokyo--to the public squares and piazzas where he creates breathtaking colored chalk anamorphic drawings--pictures rendered in perspective and appearing three-dimensional when viewed from a particular angle. The photographs of his immense paintings leap off the page, creating a whimsical wonderland of giant insects and animals, superheroes, gaping chasms, and subterranean waterways that ape and then distort reality. Each of Beever's drawings offers passersby a chance to literally step into these imagined worlds--one can balance on the headstock of a giant guitar, climb down a ladder that seems to lead into the sidewalk or sit atop a massive pint of beer. Beever's mastery and unbridled humor are on full display in these dazzling drawings, each accompanied by a description that details artistic techniques, discusses challenges the artist faced, and offers an inside look into his process.--Publishers Weekly (10/01/2010)
Beever, a sidewalk artist who uses chalk to create amazing whimsical, three-dimensional public-space illusions that can only be viewed properly from one specific angle, shows off several dozen of his favorites and explains the frequently challenging circumstances in which each was done. It's pure browsing pleasure--just keep reminding your brain that what your eyes are certain they're seeing isn't really there!-- (02/20/2011)
British-born artist Beever produces anamorphic drawings on sidewalks across the globe using chalk. In this brief volume he explains his technique--the illusion of depth works only if seen at a precise angle. Beginning with a paper sketch, Beever employs a camera on a tripod as his third eye to give the correct perspective as he fleshes out the color drawing on a sidewalk. Having begun as a street performer juggling and presenting puppet shows, Beever understands the psychology of gathering a group of disparate strangers and turning them into a collective audience, and he succeeds by presenting humorous art. The book offers more than 75 photos of Beever and his creations; the artist often enhances his clever subjects by placing himself as a prop, e.g., extending a hand to a man falling down stairs or hauling in a huge fish. Quirky and fun, this has tremendous browse appeal and will attract a wide audience.-- (02/15/2011)
Pavement Chalk Artist is likely not to disappoint anyone. It's almost like traveling through strange lands and stopping every now and then to sit on top of Big Ben, haul a giant crab from the water, or catch a whale on a street on Salamanca, Spain.... Beever's art is -- pardon the expression -- unworldly -- and timeless, a suspension between what exists in Beever's mind and the ripple effect it has on the environment. Some of my favorite pieces include Felix (the cat) Celebrates Chinese New Year, Waste of Water, Turkish Delights, Spiderman Over London, The Unstoppable Progress of the Garden Mole, You Just Can't Get the Reindeer Anymore ...and Fish Supper at the Beach, in which the bird, not man, reaps the feast. Pavement Chalk Artist is incredibly wise, colorful and unique. It might encourage people to do something out of the ordinary, like Beever, with only a handful of chalk and the freedom of the streets.-- (05/15/2011)
British artist Julian Beever creates chalk drawings that transform sidewalks into stunning three-dimensional panoramas. A sidewalk in Cologne becomes a lily pond with newts staring from underwater. In Mexico City, a gigantic monarch butterfly rises from the concrete. In Montreal, a sidewalk waterfall flows. Virtually every photo in Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever elicits a wow. An engaging writer, Beever also reveals his technique for achieving perspective.-- (12/12/2010)
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