Art Chowder November | December 2016, Issue 6 | Page 35

Wall

Hitting the

Being a muralist is quite different from
what many people may envision. At first,
you might imagine yourself working quietly in your studio on a small easel painting.
Now imagine yourself doing this while people honk their horns at you as they pass by.
Picture yourself turning around, because
it would of be impolite not to; then as you
turn, you see your admirers saying, “looks
good” while flashing you a thumbs up.
Then, when you least expect it, TV crews
or reporters from a local publication might
drop by to interview you. That would be mighty sweet, right?
Now imagine that you also get visited by
lonely people, asking the same questions
again and again; trying to start a conversation with you.

“Did you do all of this? …Do you do this
for a living? …Are they paying you for
this? …You got any spare change?”
Those are some examples of the up and
downsides of mural painting. It has many
such extremes. On the upside, your work
will become a conspicuous part of the city.
You might even pass two or three of your
own murals in a single drive. Unfortunately,
you may also see the flaws; a brushstroke
in the wrong place, or even the poor color
choices that you’ll never get a chance to
repair, and you’ll see them every time you
drive by that wall.
Artists tend to be hermetic, cloistering
themselves away in their studios. For better or worse, public art gets them out where
others can see them. Most murals are on
high vertical surfaces that must be reached
by ladders, scaffolds, and power lifts. Artists are known for their neuroses, but for
muralists they cannot include acrophobia.
It’s hard to be creative when you’re in terror
for your life.
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