Portal to Elliot Concord River Preserve is a trompe-l’œil three-stage lenticular public art intervention by Dan Vlahos, Senior Lecturer of English and Media Studies at Bentley University. This work is currently installed in the lower level of Bentley’s Lindsay Hall—just footsteps from the University’s Film and Media Studies Lab. This work was funded through a private research grant from the Academic Advisory Council for Signage Research and Education (AACSRE)—a 501(3)c not-for-profit organization founded in 2015. The three images used to generate this portal were captured on a nature trail within the Elliott Concord River Preserve in Carlisle, MA.
To attain the rough proportions of a “door” a 1.33X anamorphic photo lens was used to capture the high-resolution imagery. When “desqueezed” the imagery has a 2.4:1 ratio. While anamorphic lenses are primarily known for their cinematic landscape proportions and unique bokeh effects, using the lens to capture portrait images for the portal project was found to be ideal. Conceptually, the work strives to be illogically logical and dynamic without power. It also suggests that the whimsical, discursive, and subversive can live alongside evidence-based design.
A QR code that links to a short survey sits beside the work. Responses and reactions are being collected via this 3-5 minute anonymous survey. In the fall of 2025, these responses will be evaluated and disseminated in a contextual case study about this project. The final case study will be published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Signage and Wayfinding.
Media—
Specifications and Credits—
- Lenticular printing: Visual Creative Graphics Innovations, San Jose, CA
- Research Advisor: Ellen Babcock, Associate Professor: Art Practices, Department of Art, College of Fine Arts, The University of New Mexico
- Camera: Fujifilm X-S10
- Lens: SIRUI 24mm F2.8 Anamorphic (X-Mount)
Related talks—
- “Hallway Talk,” Bentley University, Lindsay Hall. March 25, 2025.
- “Portal to Elliot Concord River Preserve,” English and Media Studies Research Forum, LaCava Center, Bentley University, March 26, 2025.
FILED IN: Art
