“WILD FLOWER OF PIETRACATELLA” at Piazzetta Rossa, PietraCatella, CB, ITALIA, 2023 AUGUST.
I painted this mural in PietraCatella at the first week of August 2023, commissioned by comune di PietraCatella
PietraCatella is placed 25mins bike ride from where I live(Sant’Elia a pianisi).
The mural took inspiration from its surrounding nature, such as wild floras, and gecko, butterflies, and dragonfly, witch I took photo of around there, and I have composed them loosely inspired by the composition from church decorations.
Hence the name of the location “piazzetta rossa / red square” I have finished the mural with only white and red and its tones.
I had such a fun time painting this mural, every morning for 6day ride my bike in the morning, while painting the neighbors gifted me some panini, and drinks, and kind words.
grazie a tutti gli amici di PietraCatella che hanno reso possibile e divertente questo progetto!
Say hello to TwoOne! Another skeleton part of The Opposites. Two skeletons for the price of one here, Two has a crude, rude and mean personality compared to the one he shares a body with One, who is far more of a gentlemen, kinder and sweet. But together they share a loyal, strategic and charismatic personality. However, it's important to note, don't call them Twenty One, for some reason it really irks them.
They're pretty efficient in working perfectly well together, even compromising in each other's styles, tastes and work. Despite being a hard working guardian under the command of their leader Patriarch, he's still a bit outgoing reckless and going out on his own.
Although they aren't truly alone when they've got each other.
P.S: Don't ask about the cake.
Does anyone else remember that when Tron Legacy was first announced, it was called "TR2N"? "Tron Legacy" might be a slightly generic sequel title (even if it is a reference to an actual computing term), but at least you can pronounce it. How do you say "TR2N"? "Tr-Two-On"? "Trwon"? "Twoon"?
Maybe the filmmakers were just frustrated that the ideal name for a Tron sequel, "Tron 2.0", had already been used.
On the road back to Vesper Bay, the Antecedent of the Scions paused on the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Night was coming and the land would cool swiftly, light fading along the ridge, but she knew these rocks well.
She wished anyone else remembered, that there was someone she could speak to about who, exactly, she had lost. But it would be a long time, if ever, before that spell was broken. She watched the sun set and returned home to await the dawn.
Eventually it came, as she trusted it would, and with it the remembrance and solace she had long sought.
On this date, November 7 in 1929, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City was opened to the public. We commemorate this milestone with a few images from our copy of the catalog for the museum’s inaugural loaned exhibition of works by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, and Vincent van Gogh, with a text by the American art historian and the museum’s first director Alfred Hamilton Barr, Jr.
The catalog was issued in November 1929, printed by Condé Nast, and with the halftone plates printed by the Gill Engraving Company. Our copy is the third edition, of which there were 2000 copies.
From 20/07/2022-31/07/2022 I visited The Magic city Rabat, The capital city of Morocco, where they hold rich cultures and a long history.
I was invited by jidar-streetart for the 7th edition of Jidar Street art Festival to create a public mural in the district of Yaagoub-el-Mansour.
In Early 2022. When Jidar Invited me to the project I asked if it’s ok for me to developed the idea, once I arrive to Rabat.
As I believe with this process, I can create more strong work that responds to the site’s architecture, history, culture and people.
I have been practicing this process from painting a number of abandoned place for it’s shapes and use of the space, and in last few years of public mural project that allowed me to do it.
so the process starts from collecting the inspirations.
22/07/2022
morning after my arrival to Rabat, I met Sarah the Director of the festival and and Jidar organised a Local Assistant Dounia, we went to see the location. and after seeing the location we went for walk around the neighbourhood of Yaagoub-el-Mansour.
behind the mural building (witch is a residencial apartment) there was bunch of flowers I never seen(or maybe not noticed) before, called Bougoinviller.
We walked a bit more around I noticed a lot of carpet/Tapestory was hanged out side of the house.
I took some photos and kept it in the mind later Dounia mentioned some of the designed are very particular to Rabat. after walking around the Yaagoub-el-Mansour, went to the old medina, and bought a hand made wooden chess set, and 5x Old cassette-tapes that had writing saying some musicians known in Morocco, including Warda, Hamid Zaher, Oum Keltoum, also bought some typical herbs to make tea, and fruits.
23/07/2022
more research walks in the morning.
in the evening stayed at hotel to make some idea sketches from what I saw, and learned in last 2 days.
inspired by the shape of the building, and seeing lot of building painted in red and white, I decided to take the tapestry as a main motif, I borough tapestry shape structure, and re-make my version of it by using the local flowers and herbs. I made some drawings of the local floras based on my photos I have been taking last 2 days. and I decided to use Bougoinviller as the central flora motif, I like the interesting leafy flower structure, and it’s blooming at the back of the building where I’m painting, and also I like the fact you see it everywhere in Rabat, also I chose herbs to make tea as a flaming flora. so I made bit more detailed drawing.
25.26.27/07/2022
I have painted off white coloured square little smaller than the wall surface, thats where my tapestry will be painted.
I used long poled generic painting roller extended to 4m, then I started to paint centre motif” Bougoinviller” with the air pumped sprayer filled with proximate 7:3/water:acrylic paint (usually used for gardening to water plants, and sometime spray chemicals.)
I have been using long extension poled rollers, and pumped sprayer when I get to paint large scale wall.
They are both tools that can’t have 100% control when used for painting compared to paint brush or spray paint(as they are not really made for it. but I like using them for number of reason.
1.It’s relatively easy to get anywhere in the world.
2.It has much longer reached comparison to say spray paint, or paint brush, also since they both hold much paint I get to make much longer marks with out refilling(dipping the brush in to the paint)
3.You gain better control by practicing, but still uncontrollableness remains.
I have been asked some times that How I enlarge the image when I paint the large mural.
there are lot of way to do this. and every artist does it differently.
I chose to the tool that has a longer reach, so I can take more distance from the wall, so I can see the bigger picture, with out using the grid, or projector, because for me art and painting was always something that associated with freedom and having fun, and this technic allow me to feel free and get to have fun.
also I like to keep the first strokes visible, because I believe that when it’s done well, it can hold strong energy, and that can be seen by people especially when they see the painting in person.
as I placed the centre flore, I paint the top to make it balanced with the centre one, with my sketch drawing I didn’t have clear image of the direction of the flora. so I picked one the ” Bougoinviller” from the side of the wall move them around in front of the wall to find good angle and take a photo with my phone. every time I’m playing with this process it reminds me of Ikebana(traditional Japanese flower arrangement study)
I have painted the flaming with all the herbal floras that they use in the tea in Rabat, Dounia supervised me witch ones to pick up from the market near the wall.
The floras as subject, and the tools I use, compliment each other as the flora is such forgiven subject, meaning it does not need to be super athcurate to be looks good, and the tools makes rough but very organic marks by nature.
using the above process I worked for 2days and half to complete the tapestry.
now I just need to think and make a one final layer.
28/07/2022
Now I have completed the tapestry painting with local flora, and herbs.
-Bougoinviller,Sage / Selmia, Mint / Na3 Na3, Wild Mint / Flio
I wanted to add one more layer probably some letters in the middle, but I didn’t know what to write yet. I wanted to find a phrase that suits to the painting. and something that represent my experience, and interaction with people there.we spoke about the idea for the phrase, I wanted to make some positive phrase, represent welcomeness, togetherness, kindness, sharing and about some sort of connection, because that’s how I experienced Rabat, I ate Tajine together made by one of the stuff on the painting spot. we all sit around the Tajine, and eat from it by hand, the neighbour come with the tea and sweets. people look at me with curios eyes, but as soon as greet them they greets back with big smile, and also the we talked that the tapestry in where family get together in the house also.
I was speaking with the assistant crew about the cassette tape I bought in the fist days. and Dounia mentioned one of the singer Warda Al-Jazairia, in Morocco known as Warda meaning Flower. and I thought that might be perfect to borrow some lines or title of her song for the painting, because I have been painting flower all the last days.
-Warda Al-Jazairia (22 July 1939 – 17 May 2012)was an Algerian singer. She was well known for her Egyptian Arabic songs and music. Her name was sometimes shortened to just Warda (Egyptian Arabic: [ˈwæɾdæ] meaning
she is not from Morocco but her music was widely known and loved by people in morocco.
Dounia told me that her mother used to listen to Warda, and she told me her mothers favourite songs, witch are
-Bitwannas beek / cherishes your company
-Fiyoum wail / in the day and night
-I dream that I love you
I listened to the songs, Her mother told us the “Bitwannas beek” is the most known song.
when we get back tothe painting location, we had Tajin together again with all the crew that Adlfman made on the spot. we talked about the Warda, and other musicians, and soungs, that they like.
We decided that “Bitwannas beek” is the good title. as It is Positive and sweet phrase.
I went up to the wall wrote the Phrase right to left and the mural was completed.
Through this process I learnt something about Rabat, Morocco’s histories, culture, nature, and people live there.
It was a very magical time I spend in Rabat.
Big Thank you to all the jider crew for ongoing hard works. and Dounia for great assistant, and sharing knowledge of her cultures.
I know you don't know me, I know I'm a drop in the bucket on here, but I need to share something, anywhere, if it means even one other person can read it. Preface, I live in the heart of Österlen, Skåne, Sweden. Farmland. My closest neighbor is a castle on the other side of a lake that's 15 steps from my driveway. Otherwise, it's kilometers to other people, only fields, forests, creeks, and the lake.
I awoke to screaming outside this evening. Howling. I go outside. I see two young kits near the chicken coop, yapping and yipping at each other. Twoon (cat) and Kiku (pup) follow me out. The foxes spot us, and hop off towards the creek bed. Aside from a damp stillness in the air, and the occasional thump of an apple dropping to the ground, a new howling begins behind us at the front of the house.
I flick my flashlight and look upwards towards my balcony from my driveway. In silently swoops the most massive owl I've ever seen, just observing the three of us. Kiku hops up on her back legs trying to get a better look, but does not bark-- not wanting to scare away this guardian of the night, perched precisely where Kiku herself takes sentry-duty during the daylight. It watches us for minutes. We watch back. Twoon's tail is puffed, yet she meanders with confidence in accompaniment to me and Kiku, in the eyes of this bird of prey.
Every 30 seconds, in the clear, inky-black space behind him, a shooting star rips by. Lighting up the sky like fireworks. You can almost muster the sound it'd make in your mind-- without the vacuum and distance preventing it. Satellites, all scuttling in the background-- rush hour in the cosmos. Frothy milky clusters of stars. Thick enough to be clouds, which really, they are. Just a condensed vapor of millions of stars, with a symposium of bright flash, fizzle, and pops-- a carbonated galaxy.
Crickets. Wheat fields. A calf being soothed by its herd on a hill in the distance. A low, humming glow of fireflies hidden, like gems in the thicket of growth surrounding. The smell of the harvest due any day. The dew on the grass giving life to an army of lazy toads and slugs. The relaxed Tonbo and Hima inside, so undisturbed and at peace with their beds that they feel no need to sit up, let alone join us 3 outside in our investigations.
I've known no such place that feels so ethereal yet so warm. So timeless yet so alive. My home is a wrinkle in time. Unified peace lies within this fence line-- like a sacred seal, unbroken.
I hope if you are ever in my neck of the woods you can experience this place with me.