Apr

Liu Bolin’s Out of Sight Optical Illusions

by Janine Boylan on April 29, 2013

Optical Illusion from Liu Bolin, showing the artist's creative process of hiding himself

Hiding in the City No. 71 – Bulldozer, 2008 Photograph
Courtesy Eli Klein Fine Art, © Liu Bolin

A Layer of Paint Hides This Invisible Man

A photo of a bulldozer seems pretty unremarkable.

What about a wall full of toys?

Hiding in New York No. 7 – Made in China, 2012 Photograph
Courtesy Eli Klein Fine Art, © Liu Bolin

Look again.

Did you say, “Oh, I see!”?

Over the past several years, artist Liu Bolin has been creating a photo series, “Hiding in the City,” in which he becomes an invisible man of sorts.

Liu Bolin’s Creative Process

To prepare for these optical illusion photos, Liu finds the perfect, everyday background and photographs himself there. He works with a team of assistants to select the exact paint colors and note all the lines, curves, and shadows of the setting.

Then he and his team go to the site again, and he stands for three to four hours while his assistants painstakingly paint him to match each detail of the background. They work together through the process, taking photos, talking, matching the background, talking more.

When he seamlessly blends with the environment, he stands perfectly still, and they capture the image—his shape barely visible. (There is no computer retouching to these images!)

Hiding in the City – Beijing Magazine Rack, 2011 Photograph
Courtesy Eli Klein Fine Art, © Liu Bolin

Liu did a number of photos in front of magazine racks around the world, like the one above. Watch this video to see Liu and team create the optical illusion for an image in front of a similar magazine rack.

http://vimeo.com/59981487

If the video does not display, watch it here.

His Invisible Protest

Liu Bolin got his inspiration in 2005. At that time Liu and over a hundred other artists had studios and homes in Suo Jia Cun, an established community. Then, suddenly, the Chinese government declared the community illegal. Within 12 hours of the government’s decision, bulldozers had destroyed the first buildings.

Liu’s Oh I See Moment: he was an invisible man to the government. So, in response, he started the photography series in which he blends into his surroundings until he is almost out of sight.

Liu explains, “I decided to melt into the environment. Some will say that I disappear into the background; I would say that it’s the environment that has taken a hold of me.”

Hiding in the City – Panda, 2011 Photograph
Courtesy Eli Klein Fine Art, © Liu Bolin

How the Invisible Man Has Made His Mark

In time, Liu expanded his series. He took optical illusion photos in Italy and New York. He included others in his images, ranging from a family in front of the Chinese flag to fashion designers in the middle of their work. He even recently did an ad for Ford in which he painted cars to blend into their backgrounds and an album cover for Bon Jovi with the band painted into the background.

Ironically, it is Liu’s ability to become invisible that draws our attention. Now that you have seen some of his work, I’m sure you will want to see more from this talented man.

He may be out of sight, but he is not out of mind!

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Janine Boylan Comments

China/The World's Photography

Apr

Random Acts of Kindness Flow with “Suspended” Coffee

by Meredith Mullins on April 25, 2013

man drinking large coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of a suspended coffee

Coffee warms the heart and spirit
© Fuse Collection

Starting the Day Off Right

“I’ll have a decaf espresso, a caffe latte, a double decaf cappuccino, and a caffe sospeso.”

This could be a scene from LA Story, a barista’s nightmare, or a reminder of how coffee drinking has taken us into a labyrinthe of choices.

It could be all those things . . . but in this instance it’s an order at a coffee shop, sprinkled with a random act of kindness.

Caffe Sospeso: “Suspended Coffee”

The hidden gift in this order is caffe sospeso, an Italian tradition born in Naples that is taking hold around the world.

Caffe sospeso is not an extravagant new coffee concoction. It means, in literal translation, “suspended coffee.”

In practice, this custom is a heartwarming “pay it forward” story. When people buy a coffee, they pay for an extra coffee (or two).

This suspended coffee “offer” then waits for someone in need, someone who asks if there are any suspended coffees available because he or she can’t afford to buy one.

man drinking european coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of a caffe sospeso

Good to the last drop
© iStockphoto

Cafés use a coupon system, bottle caps, or tokens to keep track of the available suspended coffees. They post a suspended coffee sign in the window to let those in need know a hot coffee might be available through a stranger’s generosity.

A Cup of Coffee for All Humanity

The suspended coffee idea is a reminder that we can help people who are less fortunate in many ways—modest or mighty. An important Oh, I see moment.

The original Neapolitan proverb said it best—”This is a way to offer a cup of coffee to all humanity.”

Man in furry hood drinks coffee after receiving a random act of kindness of suspended coffee.

Hot coffee makes winter life in the street a little warmer.
© iStockphoto

This coffee “movement” has now taken root from the UK to Bulgaria to Australia to the U.S. Word is spreading that this tradition is a simple way to offer kindness to strangers.

The “Suspended Coffee Supporter Facebook page has more than 76,000 fans and keeps people updated on cafés that are joining the caffe sospeso community (or, if you’re in Taiwan, the “suspended noodles” community).

Pay It Forward

The beauty of this kind of movement is that it inspires other acts of kindness. Grocery stores and restaurants are also following this path. Spontaneous “pay it forward” moments are becoming legendary in many countries.

People pay for the next person in line at a drive-in.
A man performs 65 random acts of kindness on his 65th birthday.
An 8-year-old boy opens a lemonade stand to help a neighbor whose house was damaged in a storm.
A competitor carries her injured opponent over the finish line.

The stories are (thankfully) endless.

In a time when bad news often seems to outweigh the good, random acts of kindness can help to shift the balance and make us feel good again about humanity.

The gift can be as simple as a cup of coffee.

Hot coffee warms the soul . . . for the one drinking and for the one who has given an anonymous gift. A little kindness can go a long way.

hands holding coffee and cigarette after a random act of kindness with a suspended coffee

The French version of suspended coffee: café en attente
© Meredith Mullins

If you like the idea of suspended coffee, talk with your local coffee shop and start the coffee flowing.

And, if you’d like an extra random act of kindness, take a look at this video. It’s not coffee-related, but it will sure make you feel good.

If video does not display, watch it here.

Today is International Pay It Forward Day, so visit the Pay It Forward Foundation site to see what you can do.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 5 Comments

Clever Ideas/Italy/Making a Difference

Apr

Sunny with a Chance of Cherry Blossom Petals

by Janine Boylan on April 15, 2013

Japantown Cherry Blossom Festival, showing Japanese cultural traditions

cherry blossoms in San Francisco’s Japantown
© Janine Boylan

The Beauty in Japanese Traditions

This time of year, many families in Japan are not checking weather sites for weather but for sakura, which are cherry blossom forecasts. This is the season for hanami, or picnics under the pale pink blossoms.

The Cherry Blossom Custom

Centuries ago, emperors and elite began the practice of cherry blossom viewing. Over the years, more and more people adopted the custom, and, in the 1700s, Shogun ruler Tokugawa Yoshimune planted cherry trees specifically to encourage the tradition. Now viewing cherry blossoms is a deeply-rooted part of the Japanese culture.

Like many of the Japanese customs, viewing cherry blossoms is meant to be an appreciation for beauty and detail. It’s the same attention to detail that is required for other Japanese arts, such as complex origami, precise flower-arranging, and flawless zen gardens.

Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, showing Japanese cultural traditions

A Local Celebration

I was not ready to notice any good details when I arrived at the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco’s Japantown. It had taken some serious strategy to wrestle a parking spot, and the sidewalks were packed with people shoulder-to-shoulder. On top of all that, my camera wasn’t working, and I had to rely on my loyal, but less high definition, phone to document the day.

I rushed past a blur of trees, top-heavy with pink blossoms, to view the performance arena.

On stage were the San Francisco Taiko Dojo. The performers were magically pounding the front, back, and sides of giant drums. The rhythm quickly beat out the frustration I had felt on the journey to this spot.

taiko drums at Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival, showing Japanese cultural traditions

And then I noticed the petals. The delicate pink cherry blossom petals were gently wafting through the taiko performance, as if they were sprinkling their approval.

It was a classic Oh, I See moment. This is what the festival was about: noticing the details and beauty around us. I needed to keep my eyes open for that.

Taking Time for Tea

A tea ceremony after the drumming reinforced this lesson.

Japanese Tea Ceremony during Cherry Blossom Festival, showing Japanese cultural traditions

Like the tradition of appreciating cherry blossoms, the tea ceremony has been part of the Japanese culture for hundreds of years.

It is a meticulously planned event which includes carefully chosen utensils and perfectly arranged flowers.

During the ceremony, a trained host prepares tea for guests by following a procedure that has been studied and practiced for years. The beauty in the ceremony is in how gracefully the host moves, the inlaid decorations in the tea scoop, the selection and arrangement of the flowers, and hundreds of other thoughtful details.

Reconsidering the Day

It forced me to think back to my morning and appreciate all of the details I had missed in my hurry.

Sure, getting parking had been a hassle for a few minutes. But the spot I found was very close to the festival and just perfect.

Yes, I didn’t have my bigger camera, but I at least I did have a phone camera, so not all was lost.

And I was reminded to stop and ~~smell~~ view the flowers.

Turns out that participating in the Japanese cherry blossom cultural tradition had yielded a perfect day, down to the last detail.

If you would like to attend the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco, the event continues April 20-21, with the Grand Parade on Sunday afternoon.