2019-12-01 The Artist\'s Magazine

ArtistsNetwork.com 67

largest mural, How Philly Moves
(see Thinking Big, page 68)—which
extends 85,000 square feet along
a parking garage at Philadelphia
International Airport, is based on
the photographic work and design
of artist Jacques-Jean “JJ” Tiziou.
It celebrates the life and energy of
Philadelphia through a series of
dynamic portraits from the city’s
dance community.
That mural—the largest in
Philadephia and third largest in
the world—was painted by a team
of muralists led by the artist Jon
Laidacker, an MFA graduate from
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine
Arts who has been working with
Mural Arts Philadelphia for 14 years.
To date, he has completed approx-
imately 60 murals for the city. He,
like Golden, was first attracted to
mural art for the public service it
provides through education and
enlightenment. Laidacker was also
drawn to mural art for the physicality
of the paint and the sheer size of the

production. “I’m a painter trained

in a classical studio technique, and

that’s not typically a very physical

activity,” the artist says. “That’s why

I enjoy mural painting: I’m still using

my academic training to create the

compositions, but I’m doing so while

scaling the side of a wall or climbing

several feet up scaffolding. It’s the

perfect crossroads of constructive

and fine art.”

How Murals

Are Made

Once a mural is officially assigned

to an artist, the creative process

commences. Laidacker points out

that although there are various

approaches to creating a public mural

(depending on the scope, size and

requirements of the project), the

process typically proceeds as follows:

First, the composition is designed

by the artist in conversation with

a group of constituents from the

community and the commission-

ing board. “Sometimes a theme is

already in place, and other times you

have to develop it,” says Laidacker.

“Either way, your first step is to create

a concept that accounts for all of the

goals of the project. I try to take in

as many ideas and as much feedback

as possible and marry them into

a cohesive, coherent design, which

then goes through a multitiered

approval process.”

Once the design has been

approved, the production begins.

The artist breaks down his or her

composition graphically (using filters

in Photoshop or a similar program)

FASTFACTS

• MuralArtsPhiladelphia
  createsbetween 60 and 100
  projectsannuallyindirect
  collaborationwithmore
  than25,000individuals.


• Everyyear,MuralArts
  Philadelphiaemploys
  approximately 250 artists
  andteachingartists,
  contributingabout2.1
  milliondollarstothecity’s
  creativeeconomythrough
  artistwages.


• Theaveragecostto
  producea muralis
  $25,000to$30,000.The
  mostexpensivemuralthe
  programhascreatedis
  PhillyPainting(2012),at
  about$500,000.


• A typicalmuralrequires
  about 30 gallonsofpaint,
  atanaveragecostof$68
  pergallon.


• Themostexpensivemural
  paintcoloriscobaltblue,
  at$170pergallon.


• MuralArtsofferswalking,
  bicycleandtrolleytoursto
  morethan15,000people
  everyyear.