Invasion of 3D

Recently I came across a hilariously funny video, which changed iconic masterpiece paintings into 3 dimensional. One of the paintings is Whistler’s Arrangement in Gray and Black, also known as "Whistler's Mother", which is in San Francisco's De Young Museum right now, as part of Birth of Impressionism exhibit. After viewing this video, I sure have gained a new perspective to this famous painting. However, I'm not sure that this extra dimension is necessary.



Two dimensional art is suffering in our technology driving age. Perhaps, this 3D craze will usher in a new wave or art making, like photography did to the Impressionism?

For the conservative persons like me, we will retreat and sulk, I guess.

I also read a story about 3D in opera house/cinema. According to Gramophone magazine, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London is to broadcast the first opera in 3D with Bizet’s Carmen:

With all the new innovations in bringing opera to new audiences, including the high-definition cinema showings led by Glyndebourne and the Metropolitan Opera, it has been wondered for some time whether 3D might follow. Now the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, has announced that it will be the first to follow where Avatar et al have led.

It is, however, the same 3D technology company that worked on Avatar, called RealD, which will be joining the Royal Opera House in this venture. As for which operas will be afforded the 3D treatment, the possibilities would appear to be tantalising - one can well see the talons of a louring Fafner reaching out to the viewer in Wagner’s Das Rheingold, the flamboyant choreography of Andrei Serban’s famous Turandot production, or even the repeatedly swingeing guillotine of the last scene of Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites!

In fact it will be Francesca Zambello’s staging of Bizet’s Carmen that makes opera’s 3D debut...

One has to wonder why those people go to cinema for opera presentations. For music or spectacle? I have a nightmare that all existing masterpiece paintings would be forced to undergo such 3D treatment. And all those iconic motion pictures too!

Where will the over stimulation end?