2007-09-11, Town of Deception

（单词翻译）

On the Italian coast, colored houses built down the hillside, soaking up the sun as they face the sea. But look closely, and you'll notice something is a little strange. In Camogli, the art of illusion is everywhere.

This fishing village near Genoa is a living museum of Trompe L'oeil, literally¹ to trick the eye. And it does get tricky². Windows open in solid walls. Elaborate stonework? That isn't.

And while some flowers fade, others stay fresh for years. Camogli's fishermen originally painted their houses in bright colors and unusual designs so they could recognize them from the water.

In the 18th century, however, it became a way to make small simple buildings seem luxurious³ and grand. There are thousands of Trompe L'oeil houses in this region, but only a handful of artists still painting them.

Reffaella Stacca learned painting from her grandmother. Using classical methods on her own modern designs, she gives house painting a whole new meaning. This painted facade⁴ is typical of Liguria, really typical, but for a while, it seemed like no one was doing them anymore.

It's taken 20 years to perfect her technique of recreating stone, so that it looks real even from close-up. Like most painters, she learned Trompe L'oeil from other artists, not in school. But with few artists, there are fewer teachers and fewer places to learn. Carlo Pere has made a business out of making the surreal real. Buyers for his imaginary terraces and bogus balconies often live in small houses or city apartments. Pere's job is to improve the view.

Trompe L'oeil means bringing the land to the sea, or the sea to the mountains, or vice⁵ versa.

Pere's technique comes out of an art handbook from the 14th century, even his paints have the stamp of history. He uses only pure pigments⁶ mixed by hand. It keeps tradition alive. In Camogli, the local culture is still in plain view from the bay to the bar. You just might not believe your eyes.