Comments on: Chalk Shadow Art

By: vero4902

vero4902 — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:19:35 +0000

Regardless of whether he was the first or not, this is still really cool! I might have to do it!

By: Aeris

Aeris — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:51:20 +0000

I have to second the other comments, he was not the first one. I have joined my university in 2003 and there was LOADS of chalk shadow art - just not with chalk, with white paint - near my uni. Still is.
Regarding the illegal bits:
chalk i think is not illegal, thanks to being able to be washed off. paint is different though...i think.

By: liphttam1

liphttam1 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:07:27 +0000

HUH so is this illeagal or not?

By: samlive

samlive — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:26:43 +0000

while Gallagher may be the center of this particular story, he is by no means original. I have been 'chalking' for quite some time now (and take most of my inspiration from Keith Harring) and a number of friends of mine have been outlining shadows in chalk for some time.

nice to see some more publicity on the topic, but i cant help but cringe at the line "shadow art was born".

By: Frau

Frau — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:44:49 +0000

I used to do this when I was young. I had seen something about how people in Chaco had marked the solstice on spiral carved into stone.
Then as I got older I would mark different shadows with whatever time of the day it was.

I still do it. Except now that the obsession has evolved to marking specific shadows at different times of the year and photographing them, so they are more permanent.

By: Rocky Rook

Rocky Rook — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 19:21:08 +0000

I was once reprimanded for doing this to my high school.

By: ElectroStep

ElectroStep — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:02:48 +0000

Nice story, but people have been doing this around towns and cities for years.

It's very cool to see so many people enjoying it.

By: Arrrrrr

Arrrrrr — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:19:59 +0000

er... done

By: Arrrrrr

Arrrrrr — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:19:41 +0000

I have did this outside my place last year... outlined my mailbox and labeled it "four 15" as that was the time that the shadow fit the outline. Didn't last long though!

By: Christopher

Christopher — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:01:25 +0000

What an incredible way to be inspired to draw. Mr. Gallagher may not be the first to take chalk to cement (most of us did as children), but he's doing it as an adult (most of us don't), he's doing it well, and he's inspiring others.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:54:21 +0000

I used to do something like this on a smaller scale as a kid. I would find a distinct shape in the playground blacktop area and then trace it out from the discarded chalk pieces I found near the black board. It soon became a big hit and everyone in the yard would do it and compete in teams to trace and draw the biggest shadow they could find.