The best thing about art is that it doesn’t have a defined set of rules. Artists don’t necessarily have to purchase expensive supplies (canvas, paints, brushes etc) to create it. They can think outside the box and experiment with different mediums and tools. Like using makeup on eggs and even utilizing the rays of the sun!
Michael Papadakis, a sunlight artist from Los Angeles, uses mirrors and lenses to concentrate the sun’s rays onto wood or stone. And the results are stunning. See for yourself.
This unique art form is known as ‘Heliography’. Essentially, the sun’s power is focussed to burn the wooden/stone canvas underneath. This is achieved by using magnifying glasses, lenses and mirrors. Needless to say, the process is time-consuming, difficult and requires a lot of patience.
Michael began to make sunlight art in 2012 while he was travelling across Asia. He says,
“With a magnifying glass in one hand and a piece of wood in the other, I let the Sun be my guide as I travelled for 14 months across the high plateaus of the Pamir Mountain Range, making Sunlight Art for the local people.”
For textures and effects, he uses different lenses and sometimes, changes the distance of the lens from the canvas. Or even the intensity of sunlight falling on it.
Here are some more pieces of his art that will leave you amazed.
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https://www.instagram.com/p/BmxHEFVHLq4/
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For those of you who want to give heliography a try, be sure to do it with an experienced artist as the art form comes with its own share of risks.