ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexa Meade - Visual artist
Alexa Meade paints mesmerizing, illusionistic portraits directly on living subjects, subverting familiar visual cues with perspective and color.

Why you should listen

Alexa Meade creates paintings in 3D space that make the real world appear to be a 2D painting. What may look like a traditional painted portrait is actually a photograph of a living, breathing person whose face, clothes and surroundings are all covered in acrylic paint. The 3D paintings can be photographed from any angle and maintain the illusion of flatness without the need for digital effects.

Alexa stumbled upon this technique by accident. While she was studying political science in college, she had an idea for an art project: what would it look like if she covered up shadows in the landscape with black paint? This question led her down a rabbit hole of experiments with painitng in 3D space that led to her discovery of this new style of optical illusion. She paints on people around the world who become part of the urban landscape as living street art. The photographs of the ephemeral painting performances hang on the walls of galleries and museums.

She recieved critical acclaim from CNN, Wired, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and more. She has lectured at the CalArts, UC-Berkeley, Apple, Adobe and National Geographic London

Alexa travels the world creating live painting performances, art installations and commisioned portraits. Currently, Alexa is collaborating with scientists and researching spacetime at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Alexa is making a series of magical paintings with David Blaine, transforming her home into a "Fun House" with Chris Hughes, developing a line of toys and volunteering in the art program at the Braille Institute. 

More profile about the speaker
Alexa Meade | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2013

Alexa Meade: Your body is my canvas

Alexa Meade: Vaše tijelo je moje platno

Filmed:
2,815,934 views

Alexa Meade ima inovativan pristup umjetnosti. Za nju to nije život ispunjen skiciranjem i razvlačenjem platna. Umjesto toga, ona odabire temu i onda je slika--doslovno. Prekriva sve u sceni--ljude, stolice, hranu, što god--maskom boje koja oponaša ono što se nalazi ispod. U ovom prosvjetljujućem govoru, Meade nam pokazuje fotografije svojih čudnovatijih rezultata i dijeli s nama novi projekt koji uključuje ljude, boju i mlijeko.
- Visual artist
Alexa Meade paints mesmerizing, illusionistic portraits directly on living subjects, subverting familiar visual cues with perspective and color. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
You maysvibanj want to take a closerbliže look.
0
502
2206
Možda ćete htjeti pobliže pogledati.
00:14
There's more to this paintingslika than meetszadovoljava the eyeoko.
1
2708
3234
Na ovoj slici ima više nego što možete zamijetiti na prvi pogled.
00:17
And yes, it's an acrylicakril paintingslika of a man,
2
5942
3990
I da, ovo je akrilna slika muškarca,
00:21
but I didn't paintboja it on canvasplatno.
3
9932
2432
ali nisam ju naslikala na platnu.
00:24
I paintedobojen it directlydirektno on topvrh of the man.
4
12364
3288
Naslikala sam ju direktno na muškarca.
00:27
What I do in my artumjetnost is I skippreskočiti the canvasplatno altogethersve u svemu,
5
15652
2734
Ono što činim u svojoj umjetnosti je da preskačem platno u potpunosti,
00:30
and if I want to paintboja your portraitportret,
6
18386
1866
i ako želim naslikati vaš portret,
00:32
I'm paintingslika it on you, physicallytjelesno on you.
7
20252
3640
slikam ga na vama, fizički na vama.
00:35
That alsotakođer meanssredstva you're probablyvjerojatno going to endkraj up
8
23892
1753
To također znači da ćete vjerojatno završiti
00:37
with an earfulkondoma of paintboja,
9
25645
1908
sa uhom punim boje,
00:39
because I need to paintboja your earuho on your earuho.
10
27553
4083
zato što moram naslikati vaše uho na vašem uhu.
00:43
Everything in this scenescena, the personosoba, the clothesodjeća,
11
31636
2616
Sve na ovoj sceni, osoba, odjeća,
00:46
chairsstolice, wallzid, getsdobiva coveredpokriven in a maskmaska of paintboja
12
34252
3673
stolica, zid, sve bude pokriveno premazom boje
00:49
that mimicsoponaša what's directlydirektno belowispod it,
13
37925
2761
koja oponaša ono što je direktno ispod nje,
00:52
and in this way, I'm ableu stanju to take a three-dimensionaltrodimenzionalni scenescena
14
40686
3714
i na ovaj način mogu uzeti trodimenzionalnu scenu
00:56
and make it look like a two-dimensionaldvodimenzionalan paintingslika.
15
44400
3205
i učiniti da izgleda kao dvodimenzionalna slika.
00:59
I can photographfotografirati it from any anglekut,
16
47621
2198
Mogu je fotografirati iz bilo kojeg kuta,
01:01
and it will still look 2D.
17
49819
3023
i dalje će izgledati 2D.
01:04
There's no PhotoshopPhotoshop here.
18
52842
3013
Ovdje nema Photoshopa.
01:07
This is just a photofoto
19
55855
1762
Ovo je samo fotografija
01:09
of one of my three-dimensionaltrodimenzionalni paintingsslike.
20
57617
3671
jedne od mojih trodimenzionalnih slika.
01:13
You mightmoć be wonderingpitate how I camedošao up with this ideaideja
21
61288
2120
Možda se pitate kako sam došla na ovu ideju
01:15
of turningtokarenje people into paintingsslike.
22
63408
2264
da pretvaram ljude u slike.
01:17
But originallyizvorno, this had nothing to do
23
65672
2794
Isprva, ovo nije imalo nikakve veze
01:20
with eitherili people or paintboja.
24
68466
2214
ni s ljudima ni s bojom.
01:22
It was about shadowssjene.
25
70680
2392
Radilo se o sjenama.
01:25
I was fascinatedopčinjen with the absenceodsutnost of lightsvjetlo,
26
73072
2620
Bila sam fascinirana nedostatkom svjetla,
01:27
and I wanted to find a way that I could give it materialityznačajnosti
27
75692
3451
i htjela sam pronaći način kako bi to mogla materijalizirati
01:31
and pinigla it down before it changedpromijenjen.
28
79143
2733
i zabilježiti prije nego se promijeni.
01:33
I camedošao up with the ideaideja of paintingslika shadowssjene.
29
81876
2525
Došla sam na ideju da slikam sjene.
01:36
I lovedvoljen that I could hidesakriti withinunutar this shadowsjena
30
84401
2191
Svidjelo mi se to što sam unutar sjene sakrila
01:38
my ownvlastiti paintedobojen versionverzija,
31
86592
2104
svoju vlastitu slikanu verziju,
01:40
and it would be almostskoro invisiblenevidljiv
32
88696
2437
i bila bi gotovo nevidljiva
01:43
untildo the lightsvjetlo changedpromijenjen, and all of a suddennaglo
33
91133
2523
dok se svjetlo ne bi promijenilo, i odjednom
01:45
my shadowsjena would be broughtdonio to the lightsvjetlo.
34
93656
3161
moja sjena bi došla na svjetlo.
01:48
I wanted to think about what elsedrugo I could put shadowssjene on,
35
96817
3063
Htjela sam se dosjetiti na što bih još mogla
staviti sjene,
01:51
and I thought of my friendprijatelj BernieBernie.
36
99880
2280
i prisjetila se svog prijatelja Bernia.
01:54
But I didn't just want to paintboja the shadowssjene.
37
102160
3230
Ali nisam htjela samo slikati sjene.
01:57
I alsotakođer wanted to paintboja the highlightsnaglasci
38
105390
1906
Hjela sam naslikati i osvjetljene dijelove
01:59
and createstvoriti a mappingkartografija on his bodytijelo in greyscalesive boje.
39
107296
3290
i mapirati njegovo tijelo nijansama sive.
02:02
I had a very specificspecifično visionvizija of what this would look like,
40
110586
3721
Imala sam vrlo određenu viziju
kako bi to trebalo izgledati,
02:06
and as I was paintingslika him,
41
114307
2173
i slikajući ga,
02:08
I madenapravljen sure to followslijediti that very closelytijesno.
42
116480
2519
pazila sam da to točno slijedim.
02:10
But something keptčuva on flickeringtitranje before my eyesoči.
43
118999
2881
Ali, nešto je uporno titralo pred mojim očima.
02:13
I wasn'tnije quitedosta sure what I was looking at.
44
121880
2080
Nisam bila u potpunosti sigurna u što gledam.
02:15
And then when I tookuzeo that momenttrenutak to take a stepkorak back,
45
123960
3606
I onda kada sam se na trenutak odmakla korak unatrag,
02:19
magicmagija.
46
127566
1676
čarolija.
02:21
I had turnedokrenut my friendprijatelj into a paintingslika.
47
129242
3710
Pretvorila sam svog prijatelja u sliku.
02:24
I couldn'tne mogu have foreseenpredviđena that
48
132952
988
Nisam mogla predvidjeti da ću
02:25
when I wanted to paintboja a shadowsjena,
49
133940
2555
kada budem htjela naslikati sjenu,
02:28
I would pullVuci out this wholečitav other dimensiondimenzija,
50
136495
1894
izvući ovu potpuno drugu dimenziju,
02:30
that I would collapsekolaps it,
51
138389
1358
da ću ju urušiti,
02:31
that I would take a paintingslika and make it my friendprijatelj
52
139747
4525
da ću uzeti sliku i učiniti ju svojim prijateljem
02:36
and then bringdonijeti him back to a paintingslika.
53
144272
3434
i onda ga vratiti slici.
02:39
I was a little conflictedu sukobu thoughiako,
54
147706
2092
Doduše, bila sam pomalo rastrzana,
02:41
because I was so exciteduzbuđen about what I'd foundpronađeno,
55
149798
3322
jer sam bila tako uzbuđena ovim što sam našla,
02:45
but I was just about to graduatediplomirani from collegekoledž
56
153120
2304
ali sam upravo trebala diplomirati
02:47
with a degreestupanj in politicalpolitički scienceznanost,
57
155424
1776
političke znanosti,
02:49
and I'd always had this dreamsan
58
157200
2534
i oduvijek sam imala taj san
02:51
of going to WashingtonWashington, D.C.,
59
159734
2226
da odem u Washington,
02:53
and sittingsjedenje at a deskstol
60
161960
2242
sjedim za radnim stolom
02:56
and workingrad in governmentvlada.
61
164202
2718
i radim u vladi.
02:58
(LaughterSmijeh)
62
166920
2048
(Smijeh)
03:00
Why did this have to get in the way of all that?
63
168968
3200
Zašto se ovo moralo ispriječiti pred svim tim?
03:04
I madenapravljen the toughtvrd decisionodluka
64
172168
1578
Donijela sam tešku odluku
03:05
of going home after graduationdiplome
65
173746
3412
da se vratim kući nakon diplomiranja
03:09
and not going up to CapitolCapitol HillBrdo,
66
177158
3100
i da ne odem gore na Capitol Hill,
03:12
but going down to my parents'roditelja basementpodrum
67
180258
2142
već dolje u podrum svojih roditelja
03:14
and makingizrađivanje it my jobposao to learnnaučiti how to paintboja.
68
182400
3470
i da moj posao bude da naučim slikati.
03:17
I had no ideaideja where to beginpočeti.
69
185870
3312
Nisam imala pojma gdje da počnem.
03:21
The last time I'd paintedobojen,
70
189182
1545
Posljednji put kad sam slikala,
03:22
I was 16 yearsgodina oldstar at summerljeto campkamp,
71
190727
2439
bilo mi je 16 godina u ljetnom kampu,
03:25
and I didn't want to teachučiti myselfsebe how to paintboja
72
193166
2448
i nisam htjela naučiti slikati
03:27
by copyingkopiranje the oldstar mastersmajstori
73
195614
2239
kopirajući stare majstore
03:29
or stretchingistezanje a canvasplatno
74
197853
1346
ili razvlačeći platno
03:31
and practicingvježbanje over and over again on that surfacepovršinski,
75
199199
3377
i vježbajući ponovno i ponovno na toj površini,
03:34
because that's not what this projectprojekt was about for me.
76
202576
2804
jer za mene to nije bila bit ovog projekta.
03:37
It was about spaceprostor and lightsvjetlo.
77
205380
3102
Radilo se o prostoru i svjetlu.
03:40
My earlyrano canvasesplatna endedzavršeno up beingbiće
78
208482
2843
Moja rana platna bila su
03:43
things that you wouldn'tne bi expectočekivati to be used as canvasplatno,
79
211325
3277
stvari koje ne biste očekivali da će se uporabiti kao platna,
03:46
like friedpržene foodhrana.
80
214602
2158
kao što je pržena hrana.
03:48
It's nearlyskoro impossiblenemoguće
81
216760
2124
Skoro je nemoguće
03:50
to get paintboja to stickštap to the greasemasti in an eggjaje.
82
218884
2786
postići da se boja zalijepi na mast na jajetu.
03:53
(LaughterSmijeh)
83
221670
2076
(Smijeh)
03:55
Even harderteže was gettinguzimajući paintboja to stickštap
84
223746
2482
Još teže je bilo postići da se boja uhvati
03:58
to the acidkiselina in a grapefruitgrejp.
85
226228
2266
na kiselinu u grejpu.
04:00
It just would erasebrisati my brushČetka strokesudaraca
86
228494
3112
Moji potezi kistom bili bi izbrisani
04:03
like invisiblenevidljiv inktinta.
87
231606
1431
kao nevidljiva tinta.
04:05
I'd put something down, and instantlyodmah it would be goneotišao.
88
233037
3644
Obojala bih nešto, i istog trenutka to bi nestalo.
04:08
And if I wanted to paintboja on people,
89
236681
2102
Ako sam htjela slikati na ljudima,
04:10
well, I was a little bitbit embarrassedzbunjen
90
238783
2736
pa, bilo mi je pomalo neugodno
04:13
to bringdonijeti people down into my studiostudio
91
241519
1808
dovesti ljude u svoj studio
04:15
and showpokazati them that I spentpotrošen my daysdana in a basementpodrum
92
243327
3060
i pokazati im da provodim dane u podrumu
04:18
puttingstavljanje paintboja on toasttost.
93
246387
3136
nanoseći boju na tost.
04:21
It just seemedčinilo se like it madenapravljen more senseosjećaj
94
249523
1859
Činilo mi se da ima više smisla
04:23
to practicepraksa by paintingslika on myselfsebe.
95
251382
3229
vježbati slikanje na sebi.
04:26
One of my favoriteljubimac modelsmodeli actuallyzapravo endedzavršeno up beingbiće
96
254611
2926
Jedan od mojih najdražih modela je zapravo postao
04:29
a retiredu mirovini oldstar man
97
257537
1784
stari umirovljeni čovjek
04:31
who not only didn't mindum sittingsjedenje still
98
259321
2279
kojem ne samo da nije smetalo sjediti mirno
04:33
and gettinguzimajući the paintboja in his earsuši,
99
261600
2549
i imati boju u ušima,
04:36
but he alsotakođer didn't really have much embarrassmentSram
100
264149
2649
nego se nije ni puno sramio
04:38
about beingbiće takenpoduzete out into very publicjavnost placesmjesta
101
266798
1991
kada sam ga izvela na vrlo javna mjesta
04:40
for exhibitionizložba,
102
268789
1612
radi izložbe,
04:42
like the MetroPodzemne.
103
270401
3319
kao što je podzemna.
04:45
I was havingima so much funzabava with this processpostupak.
104
273720
3727
Jako sam se zabavljala tijekom ovog procesa.
04:49
I was teachingnastava myselfsebe how to paintboja in all these differentdrugačiji stylesstilovi,
105
277447
4244
Učila sam se kako slikati u ovim različitim stilovima,
04:53
and I wanted to see what elsedrugo I could do with it.
106
281691
3165
i htjela sam vidjeti što još mogu učiniti s tim.
04:56
I camedošao togetherzajedno with a collaboratorsuradnik, SheilaSheila VandVAND,
107
284856
2957
Sastala sam se sa suradnicom, Sheilom Vand,
04:59
and we had the ideaideja of creatingstvaranje paintingsslike
108
287813
2308
i imale smo ideju stvaranja slika
05:02
in a more unusualneuobičajen surfacepovršinski,
109
290121
2717
na nešto neobičnijoj površini,
05:04
and that was milkmlijeko.
110
292838
2957
a to je bilo mlijeko.
05:07
We got a poolbazen. We filledispunjen it with milkmlijeko.
111
295795
2419
Našle smo bazen. Napunile smo ga mlijekom.
05:10
We filledispunjen it with SheilaSheila. And I beganpočeo paintingslika.
112
298214
2976
Napunile smo ga Sheila i ja. I počela sam slikati.
05:13
And the imagesslika were always
113
301190
2009
I slike su na kraju uvijek bile
05:15
completelypotpuno unexpectedneočekivan in the endkraj,
114
303199
2184
potpuno neočekivane,
05:17
because I could have a very specificspecifično imageslika
115
305383
2744
jer mogla sam imati zaista određenu sliku
05:20
about how it would turnskretanje out,
116
308127
1323
kako će to na kraju ispasti,
05:21
I could paintboja it to matchutakmica that,
117
309450
2256
i mogla sam slikati tako da odrazim to,
05:23
but the momenttrenutak that SheilaSheila laidlaid back into the milkmlijeko,
118
311706
2566
ali trenutak kad bi Sheila legla natrag u mlijeko,
05:26
everything would changepromijeniti.
119
314272
1846
sve bi se promijenilo.
05:28
It was in constantkonstantno fluxtoka,
120
316118
2016
Sve je bilo u stalnom pokretu,
05:30
and we had to, ratherradije than fightborba it, embracezagrljaj it,
121
318134
3267
i morale smo, radije nego da se borimo, prigrliti to,
05:33
see where the milkmlijeko would take us
122
321401
1244
vidjeti gdje će nas mlijeko odvesti
05:34
and compensatenadoknaditi to make it even better.
123
322645
4144
i kompenzirati kako bi postalo još bolje.
05:38
SometimesPonekad, when SheilaSheila would laypoložiti down in the milkmlijeko,
124
326789
3258
Ponekad, kad bi Sheila legla u mlijeko,
05:42
it would washpranje all the paintboja off of her armsoružje,
125
330047
2594
ono bi opralo svu boju s njenih ruku,
05:44
and it mightmoć seemčiniti se a little bitbit clumsynespretno,
126
332641
3154
i izgledalo bi pomalo nespretno,
05:47
but our solutionriješenje would be, okay, hidesakriti your armsoružje.
127
335795
3070
ali naše rješenje bi bilo, u redu, sakrijmo tvoje ruke.
05:50
And one time, she got so much milkmlijeko in her hairdlaka
128
338865
3058
Jednom je imala toliko mlijeka u kosi
05:53
that it just smearedpremazani all the paintboja off of her facelice.
129
341923
2878
da je samo razmazalo svu boju sa njenog lica.
05:56
All right, well, hidesakriti your facelice.
130
344801
2275
Dobro, onda sakrij lice.
05:59
And we endedzavršeno up with something fardaleko more elegantelegantan
131
347076
3411
Na kraju smo dobile nešto daleko elegantnije
06:02
than we could have imaginedzamislio,
132
350487
1845
nego što smo mogle zamisliti,
06:04
even thoughiako this is essentiallyu srži the sameisti solutionriješenje
133
352332
2215
iako je ovo u biti potpuno jednako rješenje
06:06
that a frustratedfrustriran kiddijete usesnamjene when he can't drawizvući handsruke,
134
354547
3371
koje frustrirano dijete koristi kada ne može nacrtati ruke,
06:09
just hidingskrivanje them in the pocketsdžepovi.
135
357918
3157
skrivajući ih u džepovima.
06:13
When we startedpočeo out on the milkmlijeko projectprojekt,
136
361075
2534
Započele smo sa projektom s mlijekom,
06:15
and when I startedpočeo out,
137
363609
1530
i kada sam počela,
06:17
I couldn'tne mogu have foreseenpredviđena that I would go
138
365139
2904
nisam mogla predvidjeti da ću otići
06:20
from pursuingslijedeći my dreamsan in politicspolitika
139
368043
2401
od ostvarivanja svojih snova u politici
06:22
and workingrad at a deskstol
140
370444
1701
i rada za stolom
06:24
to trippingokidanje over a shadowsjena
141
372145
1766
do spoticanja o sjenu
06:25
and then turningtokarenje people into paintingsslike
142
373911
3068
i pretvaranja ljudi u slike
06:28
and paintingslika on people in a poolbazen of milkmlijeko.
143
376979
3280
i slikanja na ljudima u bazenu mlijeka.
06:32
But then again, I guessnagađati it's alsotakođer not unforeseeablenepredvidivih
144
380259
3408
Ali opet, vjerojatno i nije tako nepredvidivo
06:35
that you can find the strangečudan in the familiarupoznat,
145
383667
3024
da možete naći čudno u poznatom,
06:38
as long as you're willingspreman to look beyondIznad
146
386691
1505
ako ste voljni gledati dalje od
06:40
what's alreadyveć been broughtdonio to lightsvjetlo,
147
388196
1571
onoga što je već na svjetlu,
06:41
that you can see what's belowispod the surfacepovršinski,
148
389767
2247
kako biste vidjeli ono što je ispod površine,
06:44
hidingskrivanje in the shadowssjene,
149
392014
1991
i skriva se u sjenama,
06:46
and recognizeprepoznati that there can be more there
150
394005
2694
te prepoznati da ondje može biti više
06:48
than meetszadovoljava the eyeoko.
151
396699
1872
od onoga što je vidljivo oku.
06:50
Thank you.
152
398571
1373
Hvala vam.
06:51
(ApplausePljesak)
153
399944
5339
(Pljesak)
Translated by Ivan Stamenkovic
Reviewed by Sonja Rodić

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Alexa Meade - Visual artist
Alexa Meade paints mesmerizing, illusionistic portraits directly on living subjects, subverting familiar visual cues with perspective and color.

Why you should listen

Alexa Meade creates paintings in 3D space that make the real world appear to be a 2D painting. What may look like a traditional painted portrait is actually a photograph of a living, breathing person whose face, clothes and surroundings are all covered in acrylic paint. The 3D paintings can be photographed from any angle and maintain the illusion of flatness without the need for digital effects.

Alexa stumbled upon this technique by accident. While she was studying political science in college, she had an idea for an art project: what would it look like if she covered up shadows in the landscape with black paint? This question led her down a rabbit hole of experiments with painitng in 3D space that led to her discovery of this new style of optical illusion. She paints on people around the world who become part of the urban landscape as living street art. The photographs of the ephemeral painting performances hang on the walls of galleries and museums.

She recieved critical acclaim from CNN, Wired, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, and more. She has lectured at the CalArts, UC-Berkeley, Apple, Adobe and National Geographic London

Alexa travels the world creating live painting performances, art installations and commisioned portraits. Currently, Alexa is collaborating with scientists and researching spacetime at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Alexa is making a series of magical paintings with David Blaine, transforming her home into a "Fun House" with Chris Hughes, developing a line of toys and volunteering in the art program at the Braille Institute. 

More profile about the speaker
Alexa Meade | Speaker | TED.com