Looking Back

Middletown Mural Project

(A landmark for the future)

“Looking back” will be a large hand painted public mural that will resurrect the city of Middletown and the Erie railroad in the 1900’s. It will become a place of historical reverie and public appreciation, and a permanent installation that will hold the hearts and minds of those who experience it from now and into the future.

This mural will give the city of Middletown and neighboring communities a chance to take a glimpse into the past, and for a moments time, feel like they can relate to the historical richness and extraordinary growth that developed and existed back in the 1900’s.

My overall goal is to transform The wall located on West Main street in Middletown into a place where people can have a little piece of mind while quietly enjoying a beautiful vision of a city during its developing years.

From my long years of experience, I always find that when I stand in front of any type of mural, a small part of me is always affected emotionally from the artist’s representation of a particular time, a scenic place, a social or political idea, or even a complex abstraction of the visual language. This is the personal connection I want people to experience and become conscious of when first encountering “Looking Back”. I truly believe Middletown needs these subtle incorporations that encourage and promote a healthier living.

The process that will take place over the 6 to 8 week span will invite artists from the local community to participate. Some will come from beginner backgrounds to help, and have a great deal of experience by the time the wall is finished. Others will come from novice and professional backgrounds. The combination of the painters becomes a unique process where everyone beneifts from the collaboration of various skill levels and age groups.

Some of the greatest feelings I get when painting are when the locals come by and spark dialogue with me and appreciate what I am doing. They take a comfortable seat and just enjoy the process with me as I work. They have the unique chance to watch a wall go from a blank canvas, to a finished product months later. It is a live process unlike the experience you get when quietly examining paintings in a gallery. A muralist allows you watch his every move, making it a form of performace art that people can take back home and share with their familes.

I strongly believe that people just need something as simple as a local artist bringing a little light into the community to help and encourage them to be active in their community. An inspiration of mine is when an individual is inspired through my work to go out and paint his own mural or engage in another medium like film. His actions become contagious, like mine did to him. This is what art means to me. It is an energy that needs to spread throughout the community.