Whale
Whale, 2014. Vinyl on outdoor wall, 11 × 80 feet, installed at 1250 Prospect Street in La Jolla, CA. Commission for Murals of La Jolla and based on a photograph by Bryant Austin.
Whale has a large eye with a steady gaze that seems to seek out contact. Although the whale is in clear view, it seems to be hiding. Installed on a long, horizontal expanse of wall, we don’t see the boundaries of the whale, whose body seems to continue beyond the borders of the mural. Although not shown at scale, I chose to represent the whale at the larger-than-life scale that our imagination assigns to the planet’s biggest creature, who lives in the ocean not far beyond the mural itself.
I worked with the changing sight lines of the wall and careful consideration of scale and image placement to create an image that would have a still, low-key, but also forceful and mysterious presence. I wanted to use an image of a whale in a manner that would make it feel like it was hiding, or hidden: one part lurking, one part furtive, one part shy.
For more, visit Murals of La Jolla.
