Perspectives

Yesterday we went to downtown Frederick Maryland (population of about 60,000). There is a river running right through the center of Frederick. The city has done an amazing job of beautifying the surrounding area and it is well known for it's "river walk". One neat thing they have done is called the "Community Bridge Mural" An artist faux painted a bridge to look like a stone bridge. On many of the stones he included symbols that represent ideas that people from around the world sent to him. There are lots of unique things included on this mural. The artist real enjoyed the idea that you can use paint to fool people's eyes into seeing something that isn't actually there. If you look at the wall, even close up, it really looks like stone, you really think you are seeing a true stone wall, but if you touch the wall while you are looking at it, your eye sees clearly that it is indeed just an image.

One unique thing added to the mural is called an "anamorphic image" or a "fool the eye" image. Depending on where you are standing, and your perspective, the image will look completely different. the top picture is the way this part of the mural is intended to be viewed, and as we discovered, there is only one appropriate spot where it can be seen like this, and the bottom picture is the way it is seen straight on. It's all about where you are standing.

The Bridge mural got me thinking about perspectives. I really love the artist's passion for creating things out of paint that can fool the eye. I have always been amazed at how I can use just a pencil and put lines together in such a way to transform a piece of plain white paper into an image of my choosing. I love to use specific techniques in an effort to fool the viewer into seeing what I want them to see. People who view art view it from many different perspectives, and each view, whether from a child, or an art critic, is unique and correct and wonderful. Whether you like art or not, everyone has an opinion of what they are seeing. I believe this is a microcosm of life in general. We all view it just a little bit differently and we all have our opinions and different perspectives. What is wonderful is when we learn how to appreciate what other people are seeing from their perspective at that moment and not just think that our view is the only way to view life. It's about understanding where we are standing and why we view things the way we do and it's about appreciating others and how they may be viewing things from their unique perspectives. I personally have learned to love other people's perspectives on art, I truely enjoy what others see in different pieces. Life however, is a work in progress, I am not always as ready to accept other's perspectives on life like I am art. I am learning to accept others perspectives on life more and more and one day I want to appreciate and enjoy their perspectives on life as much as I enjoy their perspectives on art.