You may have come across a new mural painting on Main Street on the King of the Pack building across from St Vinnies and wondered how it got there.
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New Lithgow resident Gerard Brown (artist name Le Grizz) was commissioned by Inder Singh, the owner of the building, and JMIT distributions to create a mural for the wall.
“The owner of the building was looking for an artist and came across another piece I have created in town, an installation piece ‘Heritage Harry’ at the Heritage Cafe,” he said.
Mr Brown said he was born into art but professionally he has been working for the past five years.
The Lithgow resident recently moved to the town from Melbourne nine months ago, but said the Mountains were a second home to him as he spent a lot of time growing up here.
According to Mr Brown, Inder, the owner of the building, suggested he would like part of the space to have a nod to the area, and because Mr Brown was already in that mindset prior to the meeting it worked out perfectly for both parties.
“As for inspiration I guess that is where the hard part came into play as the area is rich with subject matter, though planning this was to simply to push and pull stories and concepts. I wanted to have a hero of sort as I do with every artwork and thought Marjorie Jackson-Nelson would fit the role,” he said.
After two weeks of concepts, research and planning, Mr Brown got down to business and completed the physical painting in four and a half days.
Mr Brown said, as a visual storyteller, having his artwork on the wall for the community to see “means everything”.
The artwork was a mixed media piece with brushed acryl’ with aerosol acryl’.
“I do love this part of my work, this process to me is the most rewarding although I do also create large canvas, cut installations, illustration along with design,” he said.
“I’ve got a proper clean studio and a workshop to suit all processes.”
Mr Brown said he was happy with the final product and has been to look at it a couple times a week since it was finished.
“The only part that I dislike about my work is that I don’t get to enjoy the work when it’s not near, so being so close to home is rare so I make the most of it,” he said.
“It’s a piece I like to invite and encourage you down to view from all different vantage points to really enjoy as the wall changes with the light and perspective.
“It’s an artwork I could still enjoy even if it were pouring with rain.”
The owner of the building, Mr Singh, said he was very happy with how the mural turned out and said they planned to do more at their buildings in Wallerawang.
“We do a lot of social media marketing and so we want to put more art on buildings around town and do some quite unique stuff,” he said.
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Mr Brown said that for him art was one of the most expressive forms that he compared with music, food and architecture.
“Without art having any emotion or thought behind it, it can feel empty yet when these forms are done right they can change your mood, they tell a story,” he said.
“To celebrate art is to simply appreciate and enjoy it.”
Mr Brown would like to thank Mr Singh for commissioning his “Homage to Lithgow” and for having full faith in his process and concept from the very first meeting.
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