MONSTER MURAL!
GIANT WALL PAINTING AT 95 WOLSELY ST.HEY APATHY MONSTER MURAL! The city is a giant gear propelled by all strange inhabitants spiralling through it. In the distance we can see the giant windmill like cog wheels infinitely propelled by anonymous little bubble people. As we approach the streets of the monstrous metropolis, the faceless denizens begin to introduce themselves. Monsters, villains, heroes, and commuters encompass the city walk. As a result of our new vantage it become apparent that it is all the unique characters and their individual actions, not the unidentifiable hordes, who make the city spin!!!The imagery on 95 Wolseley St. was primarily based on my 2005 ink drawings and performance pieces.The picture depicts the metropolis as divided by two possible perspectives. On the left hand side of the mural the crowds remain ominously faceless representing the notion of a “Kierkegaardian” entity devoid of individuals and presumptuously nihilistic. On the right hand side of the wall the crowds are introduced at street level. Here we see the true nature of the denizens of the gear as each character represent his or her own strange or distorted fable. Running the entire length of the wall at the top is a sequential animation showing the surreal decapitation of a young business man’s head. Separating his eyes and consciousness from his body, the apparent attack has no external source and the subsequent execution stems only from the inside of the victim’s mind. This 150 x 40 foot production was commissioned by the home owner Chris Bell. Chris first approached me while I was working out on Queen West as a street performer. He mentioned that he had this large wall he wanted painted, but was looking for something particular and wanted to avoid using a traditional graffiti artist. Before I knew it we were working out the details and I started making the monster mural. Chris Bell is an active patron and contributor to both the visual arts and theatre. Chris was integral in financing the first “HEY APATHY!” website, and is also a member of the board of director’s at the Passe Muraille Theatre for the Arts. Interestingly enough the building was located just north of Queen & Bathurst Street and is attached to a highly trafficked and slightly infamous alleyway. The alley runs behind several Queen West bars and nightclubs and is frequently used by partiers for parking as well as by the local homeless community as a shelter of sorts. As a result I have been complimented for the mural by some of the most well dressed and worse off people in the entire city. The ability of this artwork to connect with a such a wide and varied audience makes it one of my favourite pieces to date. BACK TO MONSTER MURAL MAIN PAGE
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