Magical Images
That Prove Levitation Is Possible
That Prove Levitation Is Possible
By Katherine Brooks
06/25/2014
06/25/2014
“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with
your eyes turned skyward," Leonardo da Vinci famously mused.
Artists have long been fascinated with the prospects of flying and floating, from da Vinci's sketches of flying machines to Marc Chagall's dreamy paintings. And as advancing technology has catapulted art into the 21st century, the dream of "tasting flight" has become that much more real. Take for example, the mesmerizing art of levitation photography.
Artists have long been fascinated with the prospects of flying and floating, from da Vinci's sketches of flying machines to Marc Chagall's dreamy paintings. And as advancing technology has catapulted art into the 21st century, the dream of "tasting flight" has become that much more real. Take for example, the mesmerizing art of levitation photography.
Black Balloon Antics by Damon Dahlen
We have photographer Damon Dahlen
to thank for this hypnotic moving image, a kaleidoscope of visual
trickery and aesthetic awe. He's the mind behind an entire series of
levitation photographs that seems to achieve the impossible. Men and
women defy gravity with magical ease -- dancing, falling, hovering and
soaring in midair. The stunning acts are captured in GIF form, bringing
the act of flying to new and more beautiful heights.
To create his
levitation objets d'art, Dahlen engages in a complex process of
puzzling together static photos one after another. "I generally shoot
the levitating person (a person in frame, resting on a stool or a
ladder) and then a base shot. I then lay the levitation photo over the
base photo and remove what the person is resting on," he explained. His
moving images -- the GIFs -- are a bit more complicated, and can take
anywhere between a couple of hours to a several days to complete. He has
to repeat the process above over and over again, shooting several
photographs, and taking into consideration speed and emphasis as the
images come together in a frenzy of motion.
"I love the fact that
the GIF has unlocked the middle ground between photo and video," Dahlen
added. "It's no longer a medium that is just used for quick hits of
funny parts of videos. With the powerhouse that photoshop has become and
the realization that this new ability can allow artists to play in
spaces that were not possible before makes the possibilities seem
endless."
His results, featuring dark marionettes and ethereal music box dancers, seem well worth the exhaustion. Take a peek at Dahlen's hypnotic GIFs below and let us know your thoughts on his levitation style in the comments.
His results, featuring dark marionettes and ethereal music box dancers, seem well worth the exhaustion. Take a peek at Dahlen's hypnotic GIFs below and let us know your thoughts on his levitation style in the comments.
What Did She Say?
Peace
Let Me Pull Some Strings
A Sudden End
Untitled
Flail Nowhere
Strobe Death
Why Walk When You...
Smooth, Stop, Repeat
Just Blink
Shortest Distance Between Two Points...
Give Me A Banana, NOW!
Hairiffic!
I Know This Is Possible
Music Box Dancer
Pink Pumps
It's Me!
Ghostly Maneuvers
Stomp
The Eye
Look Over There
Stormy End!
Stormy End!
One Way Or The Other
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