It’s one thing to create artful and realistic paintings. But it’s another thing to create such works that are also optical illusions.

Street artist Melanie Stimmell is an internationally acclaimed painter. She is well known for her paintings that breathe new life into the works of old masters like Sandro Botticelli, by using an unusual technique. This artistic style is called “”extreme perspective,”” a form of art that only makes sense if seen from one particular viewpoint. If a spectator stands in a certain spot, they perceive the painting as it is meant to be seen; however, if the viewer looks at the piece from somewhere else, the image seems extremely skewed.

Stimmell utilizes extreme perspective by creating her paintings on streets and sidewalks, so that they look like holes in the ground. Thus, her work only makes sense from one area, and is inherently impermanent. But Stimmell wouldn’t have it any other way.

“”My street paintings are a performance in visual art, using the asphalt as my canvas,”” Stimmell said.

From Nov. 12 to Nov. 14, visitors to the UA Museum of Art will have the opportunity to watch Stimmell paint an optical illusion of a giant hole on the floor of the museum. As she said herself, one of the most exciting things about her paintings is the performance of actually creating them, so this event is covered in the purchase of regular tickets.

“”We are very thrilled to have this world-renowned artist on campus,”” said Charles Guerin, UAMA director. “”She is an incredible master of the genre. Her work is awe-inspiring. This is an event not to be missed.””

Stimmell will be working on her painting all weekend, so the museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all three days. Come watch Stimmell’s process as she opens up a “”hole”” new world of extreme perspective.