Within moments of ROA’s arrival on site to his designated building for “Living Walls : Albany,” he spotted a recently departed squirrel, took it as a sign and it became quite clear what he was going to do next.
The squirrel population in Albany is (somewhat) jokingly of a “different” breed – they are as tough as they are territorial, while still somehow managing a natural presence and a non-intrusive interactivity with passer-bys. Squirrels are everywhere in Albany, making it a more-than-fitting subject for ROA’s large-scale contribution to the Living Walls project.
ROA (photo © MC3)
Cosmically or maybe even comically enough, as ROA was working up in the lift adding detail to the animal laying on its back, a man associated with the building’s owner shared an anecdote of how a couple years back a pesky squirrel’s nest almost resulted in the same building burning down, with firefighters called to the scene and all.
During ROA’s time creating the piece, people stopped by to inquire more about the wall and what was going on, with many lingering on the “why a squirrel” question.
ROA (photo © Andrew Franciosa)
“People are bored with simple messages,” said ROA “they want something deeper.”
With the inspiration of the piece still laying off to the side, ROA entertained the public’s curiosities with a grin saying, “Its for you to figure out if it’s dead or alive and the meaning behind it. It’s a very simple message – just a squirrel on it’s back,” as another onlooker proudly repeated his take on ROA’s work in succession, “that symbolizes something!”
ROA (photo © Andrew Franciosa)
No animals were harmed during the making of this mural. (photo © Andrew Franciosa)
ROA (photo © Andrew Franciosa)
ROA (photo © Andrew Franciosa)
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
Our weekly focus on the moving image and art in the streets. And other oddities. Now screening : 1. "REWILD" from Escif2. Guido van Helten in Faulkton, South Dakota by Brian Siskind3. How Art...
Jeanne Varaldi in collaboration with L’association Art Azoï. Paris, France. (photo © Michele Garnier/Art Azoï) French visual artist Jeanne Varaldi is more urbanist than artist perhaps, but her new ...
Rome-based artist Greg Jager is “dismantling” the forms of architecture in much the same way that modern graffiti writers have been “deconstructing” the letter form in the last decade. The results ha...
The walls are speaking. Unless they have been silenced. We regularly conject that a graffiti or Street Art piece rides only as long as it is allowed. Subject to immediate and daily perusal, ill...
“In this piece they are all figures from different currencies – like from Iran, Korea, China, England, the US, Pakistan…,” says Sot of the new one layer stencil they are preparing for Jeffrey Deitch’s...