Cafe wall art
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Image of the day – 203
What’s in an image? Sometimes quite a lot, more than meets the eye. I’m posting an image whenever I can.
Donna and I used to visit this cafe regularly a few years ago when it was called ‘Pretty and Pip’. Today, under new ownership and management it’s called ‘Hugh’s’. It’s a little more expensive these days and we normally visit Jacks, Blend, Coffee#1, Caffe Nero, or on fine days in warm weather, our local roastery, Rave.
I really admire good artists. This piece of wall art is very clever in some of its detail. Look at the eye on the left (the eye on the right is obscured by a little flag in this image. Looking at the detail in that eye you can see a yellowish iris and the depths of a dark pupil. The eyelid is well-defined, and the eye itself is shining brightly and clearly with the moisture of tear drops and blinking. You’re looking at the living face of a young woman with an intelligent mind and some private thoughts. Or are you?
The artist has fooled you, you are looking at a plain wall of concrete blocks. Look again! The iris is an arc of yellowish paint, the pupil is a carefully-placed spot of dark paint, the eye looks shiny and fluid because of a dot of white paint that suggests reflection from a shiny surface.
But it goes far deeper than that. Wherever you choose to sit in this cafe’s courtyard she will be looking directly at your face! It doesn’t matter where you sit; her eyes, as they used to say, follow you across the room (or in this case across the courtyard). This happens because, although the picture is on a flat surface, our minds perceive faces to have a three-dimensional shape and we’re very sensitive to eyes that seem to be looking in our direction.
And all of this is conveyed by carefully placed and shaped patches of colour on the surface of a rough wall! Very clever and a finely-honed skill.
The food and coffee are great too!
While I’m here. I feel I must add that the coffee at Hugh’s is excellent, and so is the menu and indeed the food. We enjoyed our visit.
See also:
- Cirencester – Website
- Cirencester – Wikipedia
- Cirencester Art Society – Facebook
- Hugh’s – Trip Advisor
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