Optical Illusion of The Day: The Art of Shadow and Light

Posted: 23 Apr 2012 11:39 AM PDT

The real key to making shadow art isn’t the shadow itself, but the light and the objects blocking the light that eventually come together to make an image in the darkness. That’s why it’s actually a bit surprising that so few of the artists working with this format have experimented with objects that do not block the light, but instead just manipulate it.

That’s why this design by Azerbaijan artist Rashad Alakbarov is simply so wonderful. The colored glass pieces block the light, using the same concept as shadow art, but the result is something so much more beautiful – an entire painting created with nothing more than a colored light.

Like other artists operating in this niche, Alakbarov has made his share of wonderful shadow installations as well.

Azerbaijan is a fairly small country that is not known for its fine art community, but Alakbarov is making quite a name for himself and may soon become an internationally renowned artist for his skillful installations.

While this is great news for the artist, it could also be huge for the country as a whole, inspiring children throughout the nation to realize that they too can become world-recognized artists if they just follow their dreams. Although the country has had a handful of successful artists come from within its borders, few Azerbaijani contemporary artists have emerged in recent years and every new notable artist from the country is worth celebrating.

For those of us who live in a large country, particularly in a massive city, this is something easy to take for granted, but the importance of role models in various industries is something that can’t be overstated.

While the rest of artist’s illusions are strong as well, I, for one hope, he makes more colored light illusions as they are something truly unique that will really help him stand out from the crowd. Not to mention, I just like looking at them and I hope you guys do too!