I’m totally fascinated by street art. I find it interesting and so artsy. It’s also usually meant to beautify the neighborhood. While some artists end up creating their art on the streets as a surprise, other creative minds like to involve the actual residents of the area they choose to makeover.
That’s exactly what two Dutch artists ended up collaborating on. And the results are stunning, to say the least.
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Jan Is De Man and Deef Feed are two street artists who wanted to create something special on an apartment building in Utrecht, Netherlands.
I would say they definitely accomplished that here.
They ended up painting a giant tri-level, bookcase wall mural on the entire front of the building.
They gave the building an incredible 3D art makeover.
The residents of the building really wanted a mural done by Jan Is De Man.
They gave him free rein of coming up with the actual concept.
All they asked for in return was for the design to bring something positive to their neighborhood.
The first idea of a smiley face seemed just too simple.
So that’s how the initial idea of a giant bookcase was born.
The concept was to create a “l’oeil mural” which is basically a visual illusion in art.
The image was done in a way to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object.
And I think it definitely did that here very well.
After studying the building and its size, Jan Is De Man realized that the idea of this elaborate bookcase would work quite well on this seemingly unusual canvas.
Can you spot the artist’s name here?
The artists also wanted to involve the residents in the creative process.
So they asked them to name their favorite books to be included in the final design.
The residents were able to suggest any books they wanted as long as they weren’t political or religious in nature.
Everybody, every age, every culture, every language was welcome.
It took Jan Is De Man and Deef Feed one week to work out the concept from paper to canvas and get going on the project.
Wow, that’s truly amazing.
These two creative artists were able to really capture the spirit of the neighborhood.
Of course, represent many incredible literary artists as well with their selection of books.
When asked to pick his favorite book on the wall Jan Is De Man suggested “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon and “Playboy”.
Ha, ha, nice picks!
Since the creation of the mural, it’s not only been a source of enjoyment for the local residents but it has also brought many curious selfie seeking visitors as well.
Lots of book-lovers have flocked to have their photo taken.
Wow, I’m really impressed by the sheer size and creative imagination of this amazing street art project.
I wish there were places like this in my neighborhood to enjoy.
