mymodernmet.com: France-based street artist Mantra transforms multi-story buildings into gigantic butterfly specimen cases in a series of clever, trick-of-the-eye 3D murals. The enormous, hyper-realistic butterflies appear to be set within wooden-framed boxes, recessed into the side of each building. Long shadows and subtle details, which suggest a transparent glass surface, create a convincing level of depth that helps to enforce the head-turning optical illusions.
4 comments:
These huge murals are so insane!! Mantra has done such a fantastic job of creating innovative street art that makes people who walk along those streets actually stop and study the pieces. I think that today, in a world where so many cities have major arts districts and where graffiti and street art have become such popular forms of expression, it is wonderful when an artist comes up with something of a totally different style within that same type of art. Mantra's work adds something dimensional to already dimensional buildings, making his work sort of trippy to look at. I also really like the idea of putting something natural, but man-handled, beautiful, but eerie on the street for everyone to see. And to go even further, this artist has done all of his work with carefully done spray paint! This whole project is so crazy to me, and I would love to see Mantra's work in real life.
These are absolutely incredible and I am honestly at a loss for words. I have always loved murals and street art, and it is so lovely to see the world appreciating art this way. The technique and expertise used to create these murals astounds me. Every single detail, from the gradients of the shadows to the patterns on the wings are flawless! The juxtaposition of the giant insect display cases to the buildings and streets makes me feel very small; I can only imagine how I would feel walking next to one of these murals. They change the entire atmosphere of the streets and towns they’re placed in. I find them very serene and very modest while, at the same time, commanding attention. I believe murals like these of all sorts of subjects should be scattered in every city. They truly breathe life and creativity into those boring brick walls, and make walking around a little more special. It’s like a gigantic museum wherever you go.
Graffiti and street art never fail to amaze me. When I saw the article title, I assumed the giant butterflies would be an artistic interpretation of butterflies, not scientifically accurate representations. It blows my mind that these murals were made with spray paint. There is such an amazing amount of detail and accuracy in these murals. The colors blend and fade perfectly and these bugs really look like they are in specimen boxes. And on top of all of that it's also an optical illusion creates a third dimension on a flat surface! I want to know how Mantra planned out his design – specifically the butterfly in the corner. How did he plan out to account for the illusion and angle he had to manipulate to that butterfly to be the right shape when viewed at the proper perspective. Is there a way to mathematically calculate that? Does spray paint make these large scale and detailed murals easier to create? I can imagine it makes it easier to cover the giant canvas, but what about all the little details and shadows; How does Mantra pick his colors? I would love to learn more about the creation of street art.
The gorgeous attention to detail from Mantra in these murals is absolutely incredible. The technique and execution of the murals create an almost hauntingly beautiful effect for us to appreciate. The scale of the butterflies is a force to be reckoned with. It reminds me of the idea of the Butterfly Effect; we see these creatures as so small, but even they can have a massive effect on our entire world. Aside from the focus of the butterflies, the attention to detail for the box itself is very impressive. The slight shadows and sharp corners all add to the hyper-realism of the piece altogether. The work itself does give a sort of creepy feeling, similar to that of actually looking at a bunch of beautiful butterflies just pinned in a box. Their grandeur commands your focus, and I imagine seeing them in real life feeds a sense of whimsy into your day.
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