Art is meant to make us think about ourselves and the spaces we occupy – and these 3D street art (also known as pavement art) paintings really make us stop and look – largely because we’d be worried to fall into an abyss on a solid sidewalk! Featuring renowned 3D pavement artists such as Edgar Müller and Julian Beever, among others, this list shows some of the coolest 3D images artists make with just chalk (except #10 and #3, which are painted on). If you see an image like these on the street, you’ll have to look at the image through a camera or at an angle as our eyes can’t process the 3D aspect of it directly. Though beautiful, the art is impermanent, washing away when the next big rain comes. If you’re lucky enough to catch one while it’s still visible, snap a pic (but watch out that the alligators in #6 don’t snap back at you while you do). Dig out that old case of sidewalk chalk from your childhood and try imitating these 25 pieces of 3D street art that turn cities into incredible illusions.
"The Crevasse" by Edgar Müller
Image: Nguyen Tan Tin via Flickr Doctor Who chalk drawing in Australia
Image: moggs oceanlane via Flickr Half-way finished 3D street art painting in Stuttgart, Germany
Image: Wikipedia "That hemmed in feeling…" by Julian Beever
Image: Nguyen Tan Tin via Flickr "Lava Burst" by Edgar Müller
Image: Nguyen Tan Tin via Flickr 
