# Surreal Living Murals Alexa Meade Uses People as Canvasses to Create Moving Murals By Hayley McGlone | Published 2016-07-22 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moving-mural References: [mashable](http://mashable.com/2016/05/04/living-mural-proposal/) & [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/alexameade/videos/10153703326328924/) Alexa Meade used people as her canvasses to create a moving mural. The San Francisco-based artist uses people to create [pop art paintings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bio-pop) that look like moving murals. The couple featured in the mural are a real, longtime couple. The proposal featured in the photo shoot is a genuine one. The photo shoot took place in San Francisco's Balmey Alley. The couple were painted in black-and-white to create the optical illusion of a video. Alexa Meade has done several other installations that involve using people as [human canvasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/miley-cyrus-maison-margiela) for her artwork. Many of her works blend the human with the more surreal artwork. She refers to her style as reverse 'Trompe-L'Oeil' meaning she takes the 3D world and creates the illusion that it is a 2D painting. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.5/10 - Popularity: 79% | Activity: 47% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 30% men, 70% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Moving Murals:** Opportunity for artists to use people as living canvasses and create dynamic artwork. - **Reverse Trompe-l'oeil:** Innovation in creating the illusion of a 2D painting in a 3D world. - **Surreal Pop Art:** Emerging trend of blending human subjects with surreal artwork to create visually striking installations. ### Where This Applies - **Art and Design:** Disruptive innovation in using unconventional canvasses and techniques to transform traditional art forms. - **Photography:** Opportunity to capture unique and visually captivating moments by blending real-life subjects with artistic illusions. - **Event Planning and Marketing:** Incorporating live art installations into events and marketing campaigns to create memorable and immersive experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Statement Street Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/surreal-street-art-1.md) - [Painting-Immersive Photo Exhibits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-ground-exhibition.md) - [Augmented Reality Travel Murals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/travel-murals.md) - [Mural Design Assistants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/art-by-squares.md) - [Voice-Activated Wall Art](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fraimic.md) - [Life-Like 3D Canvases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lumino.md) - [Optical Illusion Replica Artworks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/liberty-science-center.md) - [Dynamic Art Displays](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/art-displays.md) - [Interactive Summer Murals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jacquie-comrie.md)