At first glance, it looks like an earthquake destroyed the walls of this building. Amazingly, it’s just an optical illusion – even the woman looking inside is fake.
The paintings, which have fooled many, were created by Californian-born artist John Pugh, who specializes in trompe l’oeil or “trick of the eye” art. He works on large scale murals in public and residential areas and his paintings can be seen all over the world from New Zealand to Hawaii, with many telling a story of the area where they are positioned.
‘It seems almost universal that people take delight in being visually tricked. Public art can link people together and stimulate a sense of pride within the community. These life-size illusions allow me to communicate with a very large audience” -John Pugh
