Thursday, 19 April 2012

Super Monk (with Photos)

Chinese photographer and artist, Li Wei, 37, from Beijing, dressed as a monk and suspended himself in the air by wires to perform this illusion. He then shoots red smoke out of his shoes to create the amazing effect of flying. These pictures were taken over the Fontaine of Lyons at La Villette in Paris.

Supermonk: The Chinese artist dressed as a monk and suspended 
himself in the air by wires to perform this illusion
He says he never uses computers or special effects; just mirrors, wires, scaffolding and acrobatics. Creating hair-raising performances to convey his continual sense of lost gravity, Wei has taken his work all over the world.

Dizzying: The pictures were taken over the Fontaine of Lyons at La
 Villette in Paris


Brave: He says he never uses computers or special effects, just 
mirrors, wires, scaffolding and acrobatics

Wei's photos, which sell up to $8,000 (£4,200), have depicted him free falling from tall buildings-pictures that resemble the famous photograph of the French artist Yves Kline hurtling out a window.
The artist loves the reaction that his work evokes from people who pass it on the street.
Mission: Creating hair-raising performances to convey his 
continual sense of lost gravity, Wei has taken his work all over the 
world


New heights: Born in Beijing in is work is a mix of performance 
art and photography that creates illusions of a sometimes dangerous 
reality

He added: 'The first reaction is astonishment. Some people think these are sense of humor. They are curious about how I did this'.
'Sometimes I am in real danger - I have to hang myself high with steel wires and people do get a little worried for me - but I am fine.'
Li Wei sees his art as both a mission to set the scene for the perfect photograph and a perfect performance.

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