Artist Battles Stylistic Demons and the Coldest March on Record … And Wins!!!
From Street Artist and fine artist Maya Hayuk comes this new mural “Melt the Guns” in her signature style on the exterior of Pictures On Walls in East London.
While she had a good time doing the new work, she noted the horrendous weather conditions (” ‘the coldest March on record’ they kept saying”) and the fact that her work had to be nearly completely painted over because it veered out of control due to stylistic demons that took it over.
More on demonic occupation in a minute but first can we address the topic of surprisingly miserable weather: Didn’t we already establish that this was a painting taking place in London? Okay, any other questions?
Maya Hayuk “Melt the Guns” London, UK. March, 2013. (photo © Maya Hayuk)
And now, about the repainting – Even the most experienced Street Artists will tell you that sometimes your painted wall plans can go awry, and Ms. Hayuk needed to take a little more time to paint this one over till she got it right. “I don’t plan out my paintings before I start,” she says of her process, and you realize that reversals and re-painting may also come from her desire to be in the moment.
Hard to imagine and hilarious to hear about, but Maya actually feels like she has to steer clear of certain stylistic influences that may crop up unannounced in her paintings. In fact during her creation of “Melt the Guns” a number of these unwelcome styles were simply lurking, ready to insinuate themselves into her compositions.
Maya Hayuk “Melt the Guns”. Detail. London, UK. March, 2013. (photo © Maya Hayuk)
Herewith is a shortlist of the marginal, cliché, nauseating, or “very scary” influences that can take over her mind-melting color palette and lead her astray if she is not vigilant:
Circus
Pre-school
Burning Man
Renaissance Fair (not always bad she says)
Head Shop (which also can be sometimes ok)
Bagel Shop/ College Campus Café
Tim Burton
Nightclub (Roller Disco/ Bowling Alley influences notwithstanding)
Burning Man
Renaissance Fair (not always bad she says)
Head Shop (which also can be sometimes ok)
Bagel Shop/ College Campus Café
Tim Burton
Nightclub (Roller Disco/ Bowling Alley influences notwithstanding)
Head Shop (which also can be sometimes ok)
Bagel Shop/ College Campus Café
Tim Burton
Nightclub (Roller Disco/ Bowling Alley influences notwithstanding)
Tim Burton
Nightclub (Roller Disco/ Bowling Alley influences notwithstanding)
Maya Hayuk “Melt the Guns”. Detail. London, UK. March, 2013. (photo © Maya Hayuk)
During this ornery install, Maya says, a combination of many of these stylistic third rails shocked her fluorescently. “Unfortunately, somewhere along the way on this particular painting I WENT THERE,” she laments with some humor in her voice, “I spent days re-painting in a massive un-doing process. Underneath all of the black and white stripes is another entire mural that I painted that included elements from my list and beyond.”
Want to see a picture? “No – I didn’t photograph it! I just ‘black and whited’ over it.”
Maya Hayuk “Melt the Guns” London, UK. March, 2013. (photo © Maya Hayuk)
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
Land artist, street artist, and scientist Andreco has given the Earth a gift of trees to celebrate Earth Day. Andreco. Aula Verde. Earth Day 2021. Rome, Italy. (photo courtesy of the artist) To...
Norwegian street artist Pøbel made a splash last spring with his stencil of a passionate couple kissing with their masks. That was early in our understanding of how the virus might be spread. Today w...
From the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia, at the Urban Morphogenesis festival, we see constructivism of an ecological nature by Vitaly Tsarenkov aka SY. Vitaly Tsarenkov aka SY: "Love Of Nature". Urb...
So Summer is officially here and with it comes Bushwick Open Studios (BOS) - in fact close to 600 venues are opening their doors for the next 3 days and you are encouraged to just wander the streets...
A steady drumbeat characterizes the work of Shepard Fairey on the street and in the gallery, using art and design and his insight into the corrosive power of propaganda to pound out damning critiques ...