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I created this dynamic mural in 2003 for a bistro and
bar in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My inspiration came from my client's
desire to evoke an air of familiarity and energy in the bistro. As I
hear patrons' conversation and laughter bring the images to life, I feel
my challenge has been met and my work is a success.
This small Warehouse District hangout has an inviting
ambiance: booths, a corner bar, a few high-top tables by the windows.
Low lighting, dark wood, exposed brick, and tin ceilings. But these will
not be the first things you notice — the room's most striking feature is
a mural that features a contemporary collection of bistro patrons. One
resembles a pensive Johnny Depp; another, an insouciant Kato Kaelin.
They laugh, they talk, they flirt; a waiter pours another glass of wine.
You'll get either the eerie sense that someone is watching you or the
desire to climb into a booth and join the scene.
Interesting back stork: owner John Laurent hired local
artist Louise Gilles to paint the mural, which is based on a number of
his friends. When she finished, Laurent liked the work but found the
resemblances a little too real, so he asked her to repaint the faces.
The only figure whose face remains untouched is Laurent's son. Try to
find him it's like Where's Waldo?
- Minnesota Monthly, June 2004, Rachel Hutton |
