Chalk Festival Artists Show Support for the Ukraine

My previously planned post about Charles Ray has been set aside because I was so taken with the images Chalk Festival artists created in support of the Ukraine. I visited the Chalk Festival twice this year, so I had the chance to see works in different stages of completion. On Friday, artist Susan Kelly had created the outline for her Ukrainian woman and "painted" her headpiece and a part of her face. Kelly seemed a bit overwhelmed. She shared her reference image and said, "I just want to do her justice." By Sunday she had done that and more. What a beautiful work. I especially like the woman's contemplative gaze. 

The Chalk Festival draws artists from all over the world, and Ukrainian artists Alex Maksiov and Tetiana Talinova have participated on multiple occasions. They were of course unable to attend last weekend. Talinova has escaped the war and is safely ensconced in Germany. The pavement reserved for her artwork was left blank. Maksiov has remained in the country and is fighting against the Russian forces. I was incredibly moved when I saw this simple work depicting the Ukrainian flag that was created on his behalf. 

As we all have learned, sunflowers are the national flower of the Ukraine. (The rose is the flower of the United States, in case you're wondering.) So it wasn't surprising to see several works featuring sunflowers. Married artists Anthony Cappetto and Wendy Stum created this 3D image of the flowers bursting through the pavement. It's the perfect symbol for not only the Ukrainian spirit but the Festival's theme of resilience. 

But Cappetto and Stum's artwork actually had not three dimensions, but four. Stay with me on this because it's a bit complicated. While still at home, Cappetto chalked a rectangular board with sunflowers and photographed the image. Festival visitors could stand behind the pavement art and have their picture taken "next to" a projection of this additional painting. Yes, the upright sunflower painting shown in this photo was not actually there. It is mindboggling. 

When I asked Cappetto about the work, he started talking about advanced calculus and multiple axes (the plural of axis, not the tool). I can only imagine what my uncomprehending face looked like. Anyway, be prepared for a future with 4D art. The photography of this advanced technique needs to catch up, though. My camera captured this shot through the lens of the artists' camera projecting the panel and can't be edited to be sharper. Still, it's pretty exciting. 

I'll leave you with another incredibly moving work. This year's Festival featured several "illusion rooms" -- essentially two standing panels painted with an image with which visitors could interact. Most were great fun. 

For his illusion room, Luther Rosebaro chose to depict a Ukrainian woman struggling to go about her daily life in the midst of the devastation. The contrast between the vibrant blues of her clothing and bags and the muted shades of the building is striking. This woman's past -- represented by the bright colors -- seems to be confronting her decidedly less promising future. How will her world ever be made whole? 

While I usually let the artists' work stand on their own, this is one instance in which I wanted to share the reference image. It is heartbreaking. 

Kudos to the artists whose work depicts their -- and our -- solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Their paintings are a poignant reminder of the power of art.