These “Negative” Murals Only Reveal Themselves When Colors Are Inverted

Negative Painted Mural by Sepc

Colombian artist Sepc is known for his figurative aerosol art and graffiti lettering, but it's a new technique that is making waves. The artist was looking for a way to reinvent himself when he decided to experiment with painting in “negative.” The results are pieces of art that can only be fully appreciated when “developed” into a “positive” image.

The murals are weirdly off in color when viewed in person, but they come to life with a little post-production. After snapping a photo, one just needs to invert the colors in the editing software of his/her choice in order to see an image with the proper colors. This technical challenge calls for a good grasp of color theory, as Sepc uses the color wheel to select the right hues to make the effect work correctly.

“The elaboration of the piece is based mainly on the use of color, each color has an adjacent or complementary color that is the inverse color of the other, something that we work in the chromatic circle that we were taught since childhood,” the creative artist tells My Modern Met.

The concept is Sepc's way to continue evolving as an artist and to push the boundaries of what's happening in the urban art world. His curiosity and love for discovery pushed him to perfect his unique technique. Aside from his technical ambitions, he also wanted to incorporate new technology into his artwork. With these murals, viewers must be active and participate in “developing” the work, using their smartphone or computer to unveil the beautiful surprise.

Columbian graffiti artist Sepc paints unique murals that only reveal themselves when the colors are inverted.

Negative Painted Street Art by Sepc

Street Art by Sepc

Negative Painted Mural by Sepc

Street Art by Sepc

“I want the viewer to capture the photograph and ‘reveal' the image, get another kind of experience with urban art…”

Negative Painted Mural by Sepc

Street Art by Sepc

“…and in some way join it to the digital age and take advantage of it to create related fields between technology and other areas.”

Negative Painted Street Art by Sepc

Sepc: Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Sepc.

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Contributing Writer and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book 'Street Art Stories Roma' and most recently contributed to 'Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini'. You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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