Colorado-based Michael Papadakis’ artworks don’t require a paintbrush, paints or a canvas. His works are created using a magnifying glass projecting the sun’s rays onto wood.
The artist stumbled across this unique technique in 2012 during a backpacking trip from South Korea to Greece. He left a magnifying glass on a table and saw results, and he also saw how Asians were using the sun in their own artworks. Hence, he decided to harness the sun’s rays to create his own unique works using mirrors and lenses.
A pioneer in heliography, Papadakis perfected his technique while creating artworks for locals he met on his travels.
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“I wanted to be a traveller and an artist, but I didn’t want to carry all the weight in my pack,” he said.
By 2017, Papadakis began to teach others this artform and was particularly impressed by the responsiveness of young children to heliography.
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The idea of harnessing the sun is not new. Archimedes used the sun’s rays to create weapons.