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

Aleksa Mid (Alexa Meade): Tvoje telo je moje platno

Filmed:
2,815,934 views

Aleksa Mid ima inovativan pristup umetnosti. Njen život ne sastoji se od skiciranja i razvijanja slikarskih platna. Umesto toga, ona odabere temu i slika je - doslovce. Pokriva sve što se nalazi na sceni - ljude, stolice, hranu, šta god vam padne na pamet - maskom boje koja odražava ono što je ispod. U ovom otrežnjujućem govoru Mid pokazuje fotografije nekih od svojih neobičnijih rezultata, i otkriva svoj novi projekat sa ljudima, bojom i mlekom.
- 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 mayможе want to take a closerближе look.
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Pogledajte malo bolje.
00:14
There's more to this paintingсликарство than meetsispunjava the eyeоко.
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Postoji nešto u vezi sa ovom slikom
što nije vidljivo na prvi pogled.
00:17
And yes, it's an acrylicакрил paintingсликарство of a man,
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Da, to je akrilna slika čoveka,
00:21
but I didn't paintбоје it on canvasплатно.
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ali nisam je naslikala na platnu.
00:24
I paintedобојен it directlyдиректно on topврх of the man.
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Naslikala sam je direktno
na samom čoveku.
00:27
What I do in my artуметност is I skipскип the canvasплатно altogethersve zajedno,
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U svojoj umetnosti ja u potpunosti
zaobilazim slikarsko platno,
00:30
and if I want to paintбоје your portraitпортрет,
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a ukoliko želim da naslikam
vaš portret,
00:32
I'm paintingсликарство it on you, physicallyфизички on you.
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slikam ga na vama, fizički na vama.
00:35
That alsoтакође meansзначи you're probablyвероватно going to endкрај up
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To takođe znači
da ćete verovatno završiti
00:37
with an earfulpuno ogrebotina of paintбоје,
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sa ušima punim boje
00:39
because I need to paintбоје your earухо on your earухо.
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pošto vaše uho moram
da naslikam na vašem uhu.
00:43
Everything in this sceneсцена, the personособа, the clothesОдећа,
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Sve u ovoj sceni, osoba, odeća,
00:46
chairsстолице, wallзид, getsдобива coveredпокривен, затрпан in a maskмаска of paintбоје
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stolice, zid, biva prekriveno
maskom od boje
00:49
that mimicsмимике what's directlyдиректно belowдоле it,
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koja odražava ono
što je direktno ispod nje,
00:52
and in this way, I'm ableу могуцности to take a three-dimensionalтродимензионално sceneсцена
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i na ovaj način sam u mogućnosti
da učinim da trodimenzionalna scena
00:56
and make it look like a two-dimensionalдводимензионални paintingсликарство.
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izgleda kao dvodimenzionalna slika.
00:59
I can photographфотографија it from any angleугао,
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Mogu da je fotografišem iz bilo kog ugla
01:01
and it will still look 2D.
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i ona će i dalje izgledati kao 2D.
01:04
There's no PhotoshopPhotoshop here.
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Ovde nema Fotošopa.
01:07
This is just a photoфотографија
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Ovo je samo fotografija
01:09
of one of my three-dimensionalтродимензионално paintingsслике.
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jedne od mojih trodimenzionalnih slika.
01:13
You mightМожда be wonderingпитајући се how I cameДошао up with this ideaидеја
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Možda se pitate kako sam došla na ideju
01:15
of turningокретање people into paintingsслике.
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da pretvaram ljude u slike.
01:17
But originallyоригинално, this had nothing to do
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Ali prvobitno, ovo nije imalo
nikakve veze
01:20
with eitherили people or paintбоје.
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ni sa ljudima ni sa slikama.
01:22
It was about shadowsсенке.
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Radilo se o senkama.
01:25
I was fascinatedфасциниран with the absenceодсуство of lightсветло,
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Bila sam fascinirana odsustvom svetla,
01:27
and I wanted to find a way that I could give it materialityznačajna pitanja koja
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želela sam da pronađem način
da je materijalizujem
01:31
and pinпин it down before it changedпромењено.
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i zarobim pre nego što se promeni.
01:33
I cameДошао up with the ideaидеја of paintingсликарство shadowsсенке.
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Došla sam na ideju da slikam senke.
01:36
I lovedвољен that I could hideсакрити withinу склопу this shadowSenka
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Svidelo mi se što sam mogla
da se sakrijem unutar ove senke,
01:38
my ownвластити paintedобојен versionверзија,
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moje sopstvene naslikane verzije,
01:40
and it would be almostскоро invisibleневидљив
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i ona bi bila skoro nevidljiva
01:43
untilсве док the lightсветло changedпромењено, and all of a suddenизненадан
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sve dok se osvetljenje
ne promeni i odjednom,
01:45
my shadowSenka would be broughtдоведен to the lightсветло.
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moja senka bi bila izložena svetlu.
01:48
I wanted to think about what elseдруго I could put shadowsсенке on,
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Smišljala sam na šta bih sve mogla
da stavim senke
01:51
and I thought of my friendпријатељ BernieBernie.
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i setila sam se svog prijatelja Bernija.
01:54
But I didn't just want to paintбоје the shadowsсенке.
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Ali nisam želela samo da slikam senke.
01:57
I alsoтакође wanted to paintбоје the highlightsистиче
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Htela sam da slikam i osvetljene delove
01:59
and createстворити a mappingмапирање on his bodyтело in greyscalecrno-beli.
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i da mapiram njegovo telo
u crno-beloj skali.
02:02
I had a very specificспецифични visionвизија of what this would look like,
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Imala sam vrlo preciznu viziju
kako bi to trebalo da izgleda,
02:06
and as I was paintingсликарство him,
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i dok sam ga slikala,
02:08
I madeмаде sure to followпратити that very closelyблиско.
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nastojala sam da se pažljivo
pridržavam toga.
02:10
But something keptчува on flickeringtreperi before my eyesочи.
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Ali nešto mi je uporno
titralo pred očima.
02:13
I wasn'tније quiteприлично sure what I was looking at.
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Nisam bila potpuno sigurna
u šta gledam.
02:15
And then when I tookузела that momentтренутак to take a stepкорак back,
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I onda, kada sam iskoristila
taj trenutak da se odmaknem,
02:19
magicмагија.
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magija.
02:21
I had turnedокренуо се my friendпријатељ into a paintingсликарство.
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Pretvorila sam svog prijatelja u sliku.
02:24
I couldn'tније могао have foreseenpredvidi that
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Nisam mogla da predvidim da ću,
02:25
when I wanted to paintбоје a shadowSenka,
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želeći da naslikam senku,
02:28
I would pullповући out this wholeцела other dimensionдимензија,
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izvući ovu potpuno drugu dimenziju,
02:30
that I would collapseколапс it,
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da ću je srušiti,
02:31
that I would take a paintingсликарство and make it my friendпријатељ
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da ću od slike napraviti svog prijatelja
02:36
and then bringдовести him back to a paintingсликарство.
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i nakon toga ga ponovo
pretvoriti u sliku.
02:39
I was a little conflictedu konfliktu miљljenjem thoughипак,
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Ipak, bila sam pomalo rastrzana,
02:41
because I was so excitedузбуђени about what I'd foundнашао,
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jer sam bila toliko uzbuđena
onim što sam otkrila,
02:45
but I was just about to graduateдипломирани from collegeколеџ
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ali baš tada je trebalo da diplomiram
02:47
with a degreeстепен in politicalполитички scienceНаука,
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političke nauke,
02:49
and I'd always had this dreamсан
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i oduvek sam sanjala
02:51
of going to WashingtonWashington, D.C.,
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da odem u Vašington
02:53
and sittingседење at a deskрадни сто
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i da sedim za radnim stolom
02:56
and workingрад in governmentвлада.
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i da radim u vladi.
02:58
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
03:00
Why did this have to get in the way of all that?
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Zbog čega je ovo moralo
da stane na put svemu tome?
03:04
I madeмаде the toughтоугх decisionодлука
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Donela sam tešku odluku
03:05
of going home after graduationmature
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da se nakon diplomiranja vratim kući
03:09
and not going up to CapitolKapitol HillBrdo,
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i da se ne popnem na Kapitol Hil
03:12
but going down to my parents'roditelja basementподрум
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već da siđem u podrum svojih roditelja
03:14
and makingстварање it my jobпосао to learnучи how to paintбоје.
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i da moj posao bude
da naučim da slikam.
03:17
I had no ideaидеја where to beginзапочети.
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Nisam imala pojma od čega da počnem.
03:21
The last time I'd paintedобојен,
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Kada sam poslednji put slikala
03:22
I was 16 yearsгодине oldстари at summerлето campкамп,
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bilo mi je 16 godina, u letnjem kampu
03:25
and I didn't want to teachнаучити myselfЈа сам how to paintбоје
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i nisam želela
da se naučim da slikam
03:27
by copyingкопирање the oldстари mastersgospodari
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tako što ću kopirati stare majstore
03:29
or stretchingистезање a canvasплатно
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ili razvijati platno
03:31
and practicingвежбати over and over again on that surfaceповршина,
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i vežbati iznova i iznova
na toj površini,
03:34
because that's not what this projectпројекат was about for me.
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jer za mene je ovaj projekat
bio nešto sasvim drugo.
03:37
It was about spaceпростор and lightсветло.
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Radilo se o prostoru i svetlu.
03:40
My earlyрано canvasesplatna endedзавршио up beingбиће
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Moja prva platna su bile
03:43
things that you wouldn'tне би expectочекујте to be used as canvasплатно,
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stvari za koje ne biste očekivali
da budu korišćene kao slikarsko platno,
03:46
like friedprћeno foodхрана.
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poput pržene hrane.
03:48
It's nearlyскоро impossibleнемогуће
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Gotovo je nemoguće
03:50
to get paintбоје to stickштап to the greasemast in an eggјаје.
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naterati boju da se zalepi
za mast u jajetu.
03:53
(LaughterSmeh)
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(Smeh)
03:55
Even harderтеже was gettingдобијања paintбоје to stickштап
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Još teže je bilo naterati boju
da se drži
03:58
to the acidкиселина in a grapefruitgrejpfrut.
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za kiselinu u grejpfrutu.
04:00
It just would eraseизбрисати my brushČetkica strokesПраве технич Праве техничве
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Moji potezi četkicom
bili bi jednostavno izbrisani
04:03
like invisibleневидљив inkмастило.
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poput nevidljivog mastila.
04:05
I'd put something down, and instantlyодмах it would be goneотишла.
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Nešto bih naslikala
i istog trenutka to bi nestalo.
04:08
And if I wanted to paintбоје on people,
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A što se tiče slikanja na ljudima,
04:10
well, I was a little bitмало embarrassedсрамота
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pa, bilo me je pomalo sram
04:13
to bringдовести people down into my studioстудио
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da dovedem ljude u svoj studio
04:15
and showсхов them that I spentпотрошено my daysдана in a basementподрум
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i pokažem im kako provodim dane
u podrumu
04:18
puttingстављање paintбоје on toasttost.
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nanoseći boju na tost.
04:21
It just seemedизгледало је like it madeмаде more senseсмисао
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Jednostavno se činilo da je razumnije
04:23
to practiceпракса by paintingсликарство on myselfЈа сам.
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vežbati tako što ću slikati na sebi.
04:26
One of my favoriteомиљени modelsмодели actuallyзаправо endedзавршио up beingбиће
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Jedan od mojih omiljenih modela je bio
04:29
a retiredu penziji oldстари man
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starac u penziji
04:31
who not only didn't mindум sittingседење still
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kome ne samo da nije smetalo
to što mora mirno da sedi
04:33
and gettingдобијања the paintбоје in his earsуши,
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i što mu boja ulazi u uši,
04:36
but he alsoтакође didn't really have much embarrassmentсрамота
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već mu nije bilo ni posebno neugodno
04:38
about beingбиће takenузети out into very publicјавно placesместа
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da nastupa na javnim mestima
04:40
for exhibitionИзложба,
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i da bude izložen,
04:42
like the MetroMetro.
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poput podzemne železnice.
04:45
I was havingимати so much funзабавно with this processпроцес.
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Veoma sam se zabavljala
kroz ceo taj proces.
04:49
I was teachingУчити myselfЈа сам how to paintбоје in all these differentразличит stylesстилова,
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Učila sam kako da slikam
u svim tim različitim stilovima,
04:53
and I wanted to see what elseдруго I could do with it.
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i želela sam da vidim za šta bih
još mogla to da iskoristim.
04:56
I cameДошао togetherзаједно with a collaboratorсарадник, SheilaSheila VandVand,
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Sastala sam se sa saradnicom,
Šilom Vand,
04:59
and we had the ideaидеја of creatingстварање paintingsслике
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i dobile smo ideju da stvaramo slike
05:02
in a more unusualнеобично surfaceповршина,
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na još neobičnijoj površini,
05:04
and that was milkмлеко.
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a to je bilo mleko.
05:07
We got a poolбазен. We filledиспуњен it with milkмлеко.
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Nabavile smo bazen.
Ispunile smo ga mlekom.
05:10
We filledиспуњен it with SheilaSheila. And I beganпочела paintingсликарство.
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Ispunile smo ga Šilom.
I ja sam počela da slikam.
05:13
And the imagesслике were always
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Slike su na kraju uvek bile
05:15
completelyу потпуности unexpectedнеочекивано in the endкрај,
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potpuno neočekivane,
05:17
because I could have a very specificспецифични imageслика
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jer sam mogla da imam
vrlo određenu sliku
05:20
about how it would turnред out,
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kako će sve ispasti,
05:21
I could paintбоје it to matchутакмица that,
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mogla sam da slikam
u nameri da to i dobijem,
05:23
but the momentтренутак that SheilaSheila laidположено back into the milkмлеко,
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ali u trenutku kada bi Šila
zaronila u mleko,
05:26
everything would changeпромена.
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sve bi se promenilo.
05:28
It was in constantконстантно fluxFlaks,
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Stalno je dolazilo do promena,
05:30
and we had to, ratherприлично than fightборба it, embraceзагрли it,
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i umesto da se tome opiremo,
bile smo primorane da to prigrlimo
05:33
see where the milkмлеко would take us
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i vidimo kuda će nas mleko odvesti
05:34
and compensateнадокнадити to make it even better.
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i da kompenzujemo da bismo
to učinile još boljim.
05:38
SometimesPonekad, when SheilaSheila would layЛези down in the milkмлеко,
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Ponekad, kada bi Šila legla u mleko,
05:42
it would washпрање all the paintбоје off of her armsруке,
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ono bi sapralo svu boju sa njenih ruku,
05:44
and it mightМожда seemИзгледа a little bitмало clumsynespretan,
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i možda se čini pomalo nespretnim,
05:47
but our solutionрешење would be, okay, hideсакрити your armsруке.
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ali naše rešenje bilo je,
u redu, sakrij ruke.
05:50
And one time, she got so much milkмлеко in her hairкоса
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Jednom joj je toliko mleka ušlo u kosu
05:53
that it just smearedrazmazan all the paintбоје off of her faceлице.
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da joj se sva boja sa lica skinula.
05:56
All right, well, hideсакрити your faceлице.
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Dobro, onda sakrij lice.
05:59
And we endedзавршио up with something farдалеко more elegantелегантно
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Na kraju smo dobile nešto
daleko elegantnije
06:02
than we could have imaginedзамишљен,
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nego što smo mogle i da zamislimo,
06:04
even thoughипак this is essentiallyУ суштини the sameисти solutionрешење
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iako je ovo u osnovi bilo isto rešenje
06:06
that a frustratedфрустриран kidклинац usesкористи when he can't drawнацртати handsруке,
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kome frustrirani klinci pribegavaju
kada ne umeju da nacrtaju šake,
06:09
just hidingkrije them in the pocketsџепови.
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jednostavno ih skriju u džepove.
06:13
When we startedпочела out on the milkмлеко projectпројекат,
136
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2534
Kada smo započele projekat s mlekom,
06:15
and when I startedпочела out,
137
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1530
i kada sam ja krenula sa tim,
06:17
I couldn'tније могао have foreseenpredvidi that I would go
138
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2904
nisam mogla da pretpostavim da ću
06:20
from pursuingследи my dreamсан in politicsполитика
139
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od ganjanja političke karijere
06:22
and workingрад at a deskрадни сто
140
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1701
i rada za radnim stolom
06:24
to trippingspoticanje over a shadowSenka
141
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1766
doći do saplitanja senke
06:25
and then turningокретање people into paintingsслике
142
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praćenog pretvaranjem ljudi u slike
06:28
and paintingсликарство on people in a poolбазен of milkмлеко.
143
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i slikanja na ljudima
u bazenu punom mleka.
06:32
But then again, I guessпретпостављам it's alsoтакође not unforeseeablenepredvidive
144
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Ali opet, pretpostavljam
da onda nije neočekivano
06:35
that you can find the strangeчудан in the familiarпознат,
145
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da je moguće pronaći nešto neobično
u nečemu već poznatom,
06:38
as long as you're willingспремни to look beyondизван
146
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dok god ste spremni
da tražite dalje od onoga
06:40
what's alreadyвећ been broughtдоведен to lightсветло,
147
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što je već izloženo svetlu,
06:41
that you can see what's belowдоле the surfaceповршина,
148
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da je moguće videti
ono što se krije ispod površine
06:44
hidingkrije in the shadowsсенке,
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1991
i skriva se u senkama,
06:46
and recognizeпрепознати that there can be more there
150
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i prepoznati da u tome
može postojati mnogo više
06:48
than meetsispunjava the eyeоко.
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nego što se čini.
06:50
Thank you.
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Hvala vam.
06:51
(ApplauseAplauz)
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(Aplauz)
Translated by Sonja Rodić
Reviewed by Mile Živković

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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

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