SHADOW TRACING
oakland, california, 2010
My Role
- Artist
Exploring Shadows
In my exploration of shadows, I discovered a captivating phenomenon I termed “Shadow Tracing.” Emerging from darkness, our perception is guided by the transition to light defined by the edges of shadows.
Shadows, often taken for granted, become the focal point, transforming the nocturnal landscape into a mesmerizing drawing. As an architect, I am accustomed to focusing on the edges of things when I sketch. A simple act of drawing a line along the edge of a fixed shadow with white chalk brought about a remarkable transformation.
The juxtaposition of the white line against the dark shadow intensified both elements, akin to framing a picture. Moving along my street, I traced more shadows, each contributing to the nocturnal landscape’s metamorphosis into a vivid drawing, reminiscent of the movie “Waking Life.”
The shadows, once unnoticed, now stood out proudly, dressed in their Sunday best, ready to captivate the observer.