JR & Liu Bolin: Trading Places

This article was posted by Martha Cooper 1 Year, 2 months, 16 hours, 15 minutes ago.

JR and Liu Bolin pulled off a complex collaboration today at 11 Spring Street. This same building, just before a total renovation, was the site of a massive street art extravaganza organized by Marc and Sara Schiller of Wooster Collective in 2006.

Liu Bolin aka The Invisible Man usually has himself painted head to toe to blend in with his surroundings. Today, however, Bolin directed his assistants to paint JR into a background of a wheat pasted photo. The photo was one JR had taken earlier of Bolin. The disappearing act took place in full view of hundreds of fans, photographers and passersby amidst the sunny, springlike streets of Soho.

For more of Liu Bolin’s work, check out Eli Klein Fine Art at 462 West Broadway.

Liu Bolin and JR

Pasting the photo

Liu Bolin with JR's close up photo of his fingers and eye

JR's wheat pasted photo of Liu Bolin

Camouflage begins

Liu Bolin directs the painting with a laser beam while looking through camera to line up subject and background

Laser beam shows where color needs to be

I was not the only photographer.

Where's JR?

Os Gemeos was here

Traveling JR

11 Spring Street in 2006 just before renovation

JR and Faile on 11 Spring in 2006

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