Bizarre Art: Michael Cross' Bridge

The Michael Cross Bridge is a work of art that is also an amazing use of space and perception. Judging by Bridge, Michael Cross is clearly an artist who wants people to experience his work in an interactive way. It is a footbridge across a small body of water that gives the illusion that the person interacting with it is walking on water. There was something similar in the film "Labyrinth," but there is no Ludo traversing Michael Cross' Bridge and there is hopefully no stench arising from it.

According to Michael Cross' account of his inspiration for Bridge, its construction was more of a personal desire than anything else. He envisioned himself walking to or standing in the middle of a lake without getting wet and without anything around him but water. It may sound like a delusion of grandeur or that M. Cross aspires to be the mythical water walker himself. However, the reality is far less dramatic.

Michael Cross built his Bridge in the middle of Dilston Grove Church, which is currently an artist gallery. The water is contained in a roughly 24-inch deep tank in the middle of an aging room. While Bridge is in this makeshift tank, there is the illusion that the room is flooded. The eponymous bridge is a series of steps that rise from the water as a person walks across and sink back down once the step has been used. Because of this, the steps are not visible in front or behind you as you walk across.

This project is reportedly only the test. Michael Cross is planning to build an improved bridge in the future. For now, he is working on the kinks in the mechanisms that create his illusion. To see this amazing work of art, visit Michael Cross' website.