Kurt Wenner

Kurt Wenner worked for NASA as an advanced scientific space illustrator, but left to pursue his love of classical art. In Rome, he began creating street paintings to finance his travels and study; within a few years, he had won several gold medals in European competitions. Wenner is widely credited with inventing 3D Pavement Art in Rome, Italy and is responsible for bringing the art form to the US and around the world. His work has garnered national exposure in 1985 with a documentary on his work by
National Geographic called Masterpieces in Chalk; a print ad for Absolut Vodka as part of their prestigious artist ad series; inflight video segments; and coverage on major morning network news shows. In addition, Wenner was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion in recognition of his outstanding contribution to arts education. He has since gone on to create Interactive 3D art, which has proved to be another global phenomenon. Kurt Wenner is an artist with an international following. He is best known for his invention of 3D pavement art. Wenner was inspired by anamorphic perspective, but had to invent an entirely new geometry in order to create his stunning 3D pavement art
images.

Wenner's images always tell a story and challenge the public to reconsider the use of classicism (discarded during the era of Modern art). Wenner believes that the language of classicism is a critical tool that has been overlooked for far too long. He developed 3D pavement art precisely to illustrate that a new art form can be expressed within this language. Wenner has not only become known for his own body of work, he has inadvertently become the father of an art movement.

An often-overlooked fact of Wenner's career is that he dedicated one month every year, for 10 years, to teach more than 100,000 students from elementary through university level how to work with chalks and pastels. For his dedication, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Medallion for his outstanding contribution to arts education.

Wenner lived in Italy for 25 years before returning to the United States. His work has been seen in 30 countries, and he currently creates work for clients all over the world.
http://kurtwenner.com/book.html

Kurt Wenner is a Master Artist and Master Architect famous for inventing three-dimensional pastel drawings. Also known as: 3D Street Painting, 3D Pavement Art, 3D Chalk Art, or 3D Sidewalk Art, they are a form of Anamorphic Perspective. Anamorphism is usually considered a form of Illusion or Trompe l'oeil, but is really the logical mathematical continuation of Perspective. | Once known as Madonnari, (and later as Screevers, Street Painters, Pavement artists, Chalk Artists, or Sidewalk Artists) have designed impermanent or Ephemeral Art for centuries. Currently, Kurt Wenner has written a Street Painting History, Asphalt Renaissance, explaining how Sidewalk Art and Pavement Art transformed itself into a spectacular medium, popular in Advertising, Publicity and numerous Street Painting Festivals. | A Madonnaro or Chalk Artist in Italy may be a Strassenmaler in Germany, a Sidewalk Chalk Artist in the United States, or a Screever in Britain, but Street Painting and Pavement Art have been transformed beyond recognition. While studying Classical Architecture and Perspective, Kurt Wenner applied the principles of Classical Drawing and Classical Design to the sidewalk, completely transforming the art form.

Masterpieces in Chalk was the National Geographic documentary that established 3D Street Painting as a new art form, but only after 15 years could other artists (sometimes with the aid of computer programs) replicate the illusions. Today, artists like Julian Beever, Manfred Stader, Edgar Muller and numerous other artists create 3 Dimensional Pastel Drawings, sometimes original and often emulating Kurt Wenner early works. | In fact, 3D Pavement Artists, 3D Sidewalk Artists, and 3D Chalk Artists can all trace the roots of their work back to the street art of Rome in 1982, where Kurt Wenner transformed the complex geometry of Classical Italian Architecture into a new form of Popular Art. Whether they are called Street Paintings, Chalk Paintings, Sidewalk Paintings or Pavement Art, if they have a Three-Dimensional Illusion they can be traced back to Kurt Wenner's anamorphic pastel drawings. | The most recent development in pavement art is interactive pavement art. Interactive sidewalk art, interactive pavement art, and interactive street painting, are all terms that describe large-scale paintings that allow members of the public to pose on them. Photographs of the works with participants posing on them are often posted on websites in order to take advantage of social networking.

Art and Architecture | Kurt Wenner is a master artist and architectural designer with an international following. He is a muralist, sculptor, and ceramic artist. The scope of his work ranges from villas and residential architecture, to lavish interior design with original works in paint and decorative relief as well as classically inspired product design. In addition to works of art, Wenner develops educational programs, seminars and workshops, and corporate services. | This site contains numerous galleries, with pavement art, drawings, architectural designs, paintings, murals, interior and exterior design, fine art and decorative relief. There is also a section with video, an artist statement, résumé, and client list. The contact window provides an opportunity to ask questions or make requests. Information about buying the book, Asphalt Renaissance is also provided, as well as a Short History of Pavement Art, and answers to the 15 most asked questions.

http://kurtwenner.com/