Seeking endless experiments and innovations is often considered the hallmark of a great artist.
Rajendran Vadakkepadath, who carved a niche for himself through his leaf paintings, has puzzled his followers with anamorphic art.
Although anamorphic art is not too unfamiliar for the current generation, the number of artists dabbling in this unique genre of painting is far too few.
“I have not come across any artist in Kerala doing anamorphosis,” said Mr. Rajendran.
The artist from Chittur mystified his friends and followers on social media when he posted a smiling image of Tamil actor Suriya in a cylindrical mirror.
Anamorphic art gives a distorted image of the subject represented in a picture. But if viewed from a particular angle or reflected in a curved mirror, the image in the picture appears normal. Instead of a curved mirror, Mr. Rajendran uses a piece of steel pipe for reflection.
“A glass mirror is risky. It can break if not handled carefully,” he said.
For over six months, Mr. Rajendran racked his brain over the idea of anamorphosis. It took about a week for him to give life to Suriya in anamorphic form. He followed it up with the images of Rajinikanth in Annaatthe and Mohanlal in Kunhali Marakkar.
Anamorphic art is not an undemanding task for an artist. According to Mr. Rajendran, it is a nerve-racking ordeal. “It’s a complicated art. That’s why most people do not take it up,” he said.
Explaining his method, Mr. Rajendran said that it involved stretching an image into 360 degree. The image’s distortion will be solved when it is reflected on a 360 degree cylinder. “The science is simple. But it takes a lot of patience while executing,” he said.
It was a distorted picture of British scientist John Dalton outside the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, U.K, that triggered an interest in Mr. Rajendran. “It happened at a time when I was thinking about giving a surprise to our art lovers,” he said.
Though it is said to have originated in China, anamorphic art was in use for centuries. “I learned stories about kings using this art to cleverly encrypt their messages,” he said.
As it cannot be hung on a wall, anamorphic art does not usually get along with the traditional paintings. It can best be used in large spaces. Mr. Rajendran is planning to send out a COVID-19 message through an anamorphic project.
