Summer Semester: Anamorphic 3D Art

Anamorphism. Leonardo da Vinci employed it, as did Michelangelo in his Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes. Artists’ experimentation with optics and perspective during the Renaissance advanced the anamorphic technique. Most simply explained, it is art that looks correct from only one precise vantage point. When viewed from any other position, the forms appear distorted. In this course, we will explore the effect by creating a 3D model (diorama), using floral foam blocks, bamboo skewers arranged in a pattern, and cut-out sections of an image taped to the sticks. Correctly constructed, the 3D image will reveal itself from a single point of perspective. A famous example is the Nelson Mandela Memorial by Marco Ciafanelli (on IGNANT).