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New Trask mural on 25th Street
06/19/2014 7:20 AM by John M
Ed Trask has finished the mural he started during the Church Hill North Better Block weekend.
Thanks church hill … Better block mural finished.. For the people I met on this block , for the idea that creativity , light and color can help create change, this has been an honor …… Sunburnt and kinda broke but feeling really rich , lucky to be an artist….
I absolutely love it!
I am not a big fan of murals on historic building because the paint ruins the brick when it needs to come off and some graphics can be offensive to some. I just don’t get the ones that show mechanical art and bio life mixed (robots) and how they relate to the area? But these do have some artictic value and enjoyable to look at – better than a non maintained patched wall and only hope the vandals don’t bother with it.
I think that’s lovely and a great contribution to the neighborhood- and just in case you missed the “sunburnt and kinda broke” reference, the materials are not free. He gifted more than his talent and professional services.
It’s LIME GREEN! I hope the guy that hates the Fairy Village lives near by!!
I like it, especially the little blue bird. XOXO
Awesome. I love it!!!!
@ Eric S. Huffstutler
Sir,
Your comment’s are like a Ray of Sunshine…focused on a nerve ending through a magnifying glass. “If ya can’t say something nice…”
What thing of artistic beauty did YOU last create? If words are your medium of choice, then every stroke is like nails on a chalkboard.
Sheesh.
This mural is a little miracle. I am in love with it. Rather than cringing as I drive by Ocean Grocery, I will look forward to passing Mr. Trask’s gift to the neighborhood.
Something visually magical peaking through the historic cloak that comes with Richmond. It’s refreshing. I love the bright colors! Where can I see more of Ed Trask’s work? Are the other RVA murals done by Mr. Trask?
Aud – 3 that come to mind is the piece beside Kuba Kuba, one of the murals at Robinson and Main, and the side of GlobeHopper.
Trask’s mural is gorgeous. his artistic choices for this painting are sublime. yes, it’s a grand gift for our neighborhood. thanks, Ed.
trask murals also can be found at the rear of Carytown bikes as well as the flood wall door at the east entrance to the canal walk. awesome stuff.
UnionHillian,
I am not here to argue with you and won’t. But anyone who has seen my posts the past 10 + years know that I am a staunch advocate for preservation of our historic areas and at one time a part of a grassroots group trying to influence the city to do the right thing concerning our neighborhoods.. And my historic articles in the CHA Newsletter reflect my respect for our varied and rich history.
That said I am from the old school believing that buildings should be properly restored and not covered up with murals or similar art which to me seems to be only a controlled form of urban blight graffiti and often a cheap “out” in conducting a proper restoration of a building. I rather own a solid mahogany professionally finished stained and hand rubbed piece of furniture with real gleaming brass hardware than have it brush painted adorned with broken bent hardware. To each their own but we can not progress in preservation cutting corners (at least in the historic neighborhoods). True, some murals look great but most don’t and could be done elsewhere like indoors at a gallery. It doesn’t give a very positive or correct impression of our cities rich history to tourists especially when they are on main exit roads. Again, I do not know why murals of mechanical animals and broken robot heads have to do with lets say, 18th century Richmond? If they were scenes of the river banks, falls, canals, old historical vistas or panoramas then I could wrap my head around them better. I accept the one on the side of the Loving’s Produce building near Broad and 18th Streets of the C&O train buried in the tunnel because it represents history and was tastefully done as a memorial.
That is my .02¢ worth and won’t cheapen myself by defending my views. We can all agree to disagree and respect each other’s views – even if they aren’t your own.
BTW, here is what I see in my eyes when I said urban blight graffiti:
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/urban-blight-new-york-city-17728313.jpg
Now SMILE and lets move on….
For what it’s worth, I think the murals – including Mr. Trask’s – are awesome! Plus, they represent the FULL timeline of our City – NOT just the past. They’re a great representation of our City’s vibrant and diverse arts scene, which doesn’t always have to be confined to art galleries and museums. To me it says, RVA is rich with awesome, historic architecture AND full of hip, funky art. It allows folks from today to leave their artistic impression on our City, so that folks 100 and 200 years in the future can see a glimpse of what was going on in our time (assuming the murals will hopefully be well preserved).
This is beautiful and I can’t wait to see it in person!
There’s also a Trask mural inside the second tasting room at Hardywood.
Magneto, I hear and understand what you are saying but a mural to me is defacing historic property which were not meant to be canvases. Unlike the “ghost” advertisements on sides of buildings from 70-100 years ago, those were commercial advertisements done by professional artists and the same seen in print so were well known subjects but I am sure residents then also had objections about having to look at them daily. But today we respect these artifacts as a glimpse into the past and try to preserve each them though I have seen some sadly painted over while others being repainted like new. Just that today’s murals do not always have a purpose nor a theme other than whimsical and sometimes objectionable.
It is 2014 and this is our tip of the hat to our neighborhoods and structures. Thanks Ed. Time stands still for noone.
Bill, you of all people from years past should appreciate the efforts of preservation of our historical districts. Once again, we are only talking small neighborhoods concentrated in a section of the city… not the entire Richmond/Henrico area. Yes it is 2014 and I would like to see progress in places like the blighted Shockoe Bottom or Broad Street especially the blocks already demolished attached to false promises. But there is a reason and purpose why we have the CAR and the National Historic Registries. To maintain and preserve history, not ignore, alter or erase it. People who move into these areas should already know what they are buying into and if they are not on board need to seek housing elsewhere in the city. We are not unique in this but other large older cities in America also do the same with enthusiasm so why is Richmond, one of the oldest in the nation, so reluctant to embrace and be proud of it?
And my rants have no bearing on Ed’s artist talents. I get it that this 21st century black man wearing a baseball cap playing a violin while a robin sits on the bow shows “diversity”. Just that these historic buildings should not be used as general use canvases unless it related to what the business inside is or is historically related but ultimately, restore the natural brick or paint it the original brick color. And not to sound racist or play a race card because I am anything but … yet, why are all of the murals I have seen thus far depicting humans show African-Americans and none found of white individuals? Only curious about this anomaly or have I missed one somewhere?
oh gosh
DA.. 🙂 I know, I said my piece and moving on to bigger and better things. But my last question is legitimate and curious.
Thank you, Mr. Trask, for a beautiful addition to N. 25th Street. I smile every time I ride by it. And thank you to all of our neighbors who work to make the East End the best it can be for all its current residents and the future ones to come.
Well said, Eric. I feel the same way & have nothing but admiration for Mr. Trask’s talent, but historic buildings are not canvases. First & foremost, historic districts are about preservation of old buildings – a concept that appears to be foreign to many of the newer residents NOB judging by this & other threads on CHPN. Just my 2 cents.
Trask also painted the workers-of-the-world-unite-esque mural on the side of Ellwood Thompson’s Market. All of his stuff is great.
I love this. I see Eric’s point, but I think this is beautiful. We live in an historic area, but we also live in an urban area – I think his murals celebrate both.
@30, it’s not just the nob-newbies who like murals. I’m a 25-year resident of NOB and I love Trask’s mural on this building. There are lots of folks who’ve lived here way longer than I, and I venture to guess that they like the mural too.
It’s subject matter is uplifting and entirely in context with the current population of the neighborhood.
The building was already that spectacular shade of “lime green” before the mural.
Not only does the mural enhance the existing structure, but it inspires the viewers who see it every day. Its public art that lifts our spirits and makes us smile. Something we all need.
Bottom line, it’s just paint. If a new building owner whats to paint over it one day, so be it.
Are there pictures anywhere?
@33 Thanks for the comment that the building was already lime green, I actually did not know that.
@34 pictures of what? T
I’m slightly south of Broad, and have been around here for thirty-plus years. Given what that area looked like back in the day, (or even ten years ago) this is an improvement. I understand the argument about historic buildings, but I also remember when Seigel’s Supermarket preceded Community Pride up on North 25th Street, and it was not an area that was particularly inviting nor that seemed particularly safe. Given that history, I think this is an improvement.
Although, speaking of that area, I had a roommate back in the late seventies who liked the butter beans at a place called Buskey’s next to the post office, and the bologna burgers at the Triangle Inn (waiting for him to post something here now……) so at least some of us did frequent the area up there back in the day….
Saw another Trask mural near the Pipeline walk. It’s a black and white streetcar named Barney.
http://www.edtrask.com/murals/