A BEAUTIFUL MONUMENTAL FOOL

Now you see it. Now you don’t. A common magic trick takes on monumental proportions in JR’s recent masterpiece, “JR au Louvre.”

The award-winning graffiti artist created a beautiful fool when he made the iconic Louvre Museum Pyramid disappear before our very eyes.

The Pyramid, designed by Chinese American architect I.M. Pei, was originally installed in the courtyard of the French Renaissance museum in 1989. The modern metal and glass structure stands in sharp contrast to the Louvre’s ornate romantic Baroque style.

The Pyramid, which serves as an entrance to the Louvre’s subterranean concourses, inspired controversy for many who did not appreciate its "sacrilegious" aesthetic.

In part, as a nod and a wink to the naysayers, the Louvre recently commissioned JR to fool us all into believing that the Pyramid was no more. “JR au Louvre” is comprised of photographic prints of the Louvre Palace exterior adhered to the Pyramid exterior, creating a massive optical illusion.

The work is part of JR’s overarching mission to reframe history and foster a better understanding of the present.

“By erasing the Louvre Pyramid, I am highlighting the way Pei made the Louvre relevant for his time, while bringing the Louvre back to its original state,” JR explains.

The Pyramid is one of the most photographed French monuments. JR’s work forced people to interact in order to to fully experience it. “I am redirecting its energy, because people are going to have to move around it,” JR explains. “They are going to look for the best angle to get the full impact of the anamorphic image, and really make the Pyramid disappear.”

To create this brilliant illusion, JR first took a black & white photo of the Louvre Palace directly behind the Pyramid. He enlarged the photo to life-size proportions and printed it on a giant tarp. He then attached the tarp to the Pyramid’s façade. Check out this video to watch it take shape.

In effect, JR’s photos create a trompe l’oeil, although the black & white format shifts our perceptions as we gaze at the scene in full color, fooling us on another level, evoking a flashback.

Since 2001, when he found a camera on a Paris metro, JR has been working as a “photograffeur.” He captures images, blows them up to gigantic sizes, and flyposts or pastes them on everything from building walls and roofs to entire villages and trains.

As an "urban artivist," JR's art and action, and deals with commitment, freedom, identity and limits. He considers the street as "the largest art gallery in the world".

In 2011 JR received the TED Prize, after which he created Inside Out, an ongoing international participatory art project. To date, over 320,000 people from more than 139 countries have participated.

Like Banksy, another famous graffiti artist, JR maintains anonymity. JR is his pseudonym. He is represented by Galerie Perrotin, Lazarides, Magda Danysz, Simon Studer Art, and Springmann Gallery.

See more of JR’s mind-changing works: Website | Facebook | Instagram.

Read more about Beautiful Fools in The Surreal Worlds of Beautiful Fools, Fooling Enemies & Dinner Beautifully, Beautiful Edible Art Fools and Beautiful Fools On Walls Now.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by David Emeran. “Musée du Louvre.” Paris, France.
2. Image: Courtesy of EUtouring. Panoramic of the Cour Napoleon & the Louvre Museum, featuring “JR au Louvre.” Paris France.
3. Image: by fdecomite. “Louvre Trompe l'Oeil.” Paris, France.
4. Image: by JR. “JR au Louvre.”  Paris, France.
5. Image: by @1993paris. Courtesy of JR. “JR au Louvre.” Paris, France.
6. Image: by JR.  “JR au Louvre.”  Paris, France.
7. Image: by fdecomite. “Louvre Trompe l'Oeil.” Paris, France.
8. Image: by JR. “JR au Louvre.” Paris, France.
9. Image: by fdecomite. “Louvre Trompe l'Oeil.” Paris, France.
10. Image: by JR. “JR au Louvre.” Paris, France.
11. Image: by fdecomite. “Louvre Trompe l'Oeil.” Paris, France.
12. Image: "Yalla," by JR. Courtesy of InsideOut Project. Inside Out Group Action. Israel.
13. Image: by Victortsu. Untitled.  Louvre Palace Courtyard with “JR au Louvre.” Paris, France.
14. Image: by fdecomite. “Louvre Trompe l'Oeil.” Paris, France.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Yann Caradec. “#JR au #museedulouvre.” Paris, France.