Santa Monica’s Tour of the Grand Canyon
This article was written by Phin Upham
Valentine’s day 2014 will have a special surprise in Santa Monica. A new art installation located at Third Street Promenade will feature a three-dimensional rendering of the Grand Canyon. Visitors will be able to grip the railing and look out over the edge at chalk art of the Grand Canyon that seems to emerge from a massive crack in the sidewalk.
The recent trend of anamorphic chalk art is growing. The chalk artist Edgar Mueller’s installations have simulated a waterfall and a deep chasm on the surfaces of city streets. These mind-bending illusions use techniques to enhance the depth of field. The illusions typically rely on the visitor standing at a certain angle, but this depends on the size of the piece.
Artist Tracy Lee Strum will use the Santa Monica space to inspire people to visit the Grand Canyon. Strum, who is responsible for art work that has promoted brands like Dos Equis and Vitamin Water, has been a street painter since witnessing the Italian Street Painting Festival in Santa Barbara California back in 1997. The feeling Strum hopes to achieve is one of awe and wonder, where visitors feel like they are really there. Work will begin on Thursday, February 13th, and the installation will stay open until Monday. The project will take roughly two days to complete.
Those living in LA can visit the scene on Santa Monica Boulevard at Arizona Avenue Thursday through Monday, from 9 AM to 8 PM.
About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his LinkedIn page.