Construction is underway on the dynamic new Centre at the Forks space and temporary walls and hard hats have been spotted around the Museum. Instead of shying away from this development, Museum London is embracing the opportunity with the Hard Hat Art Party on Sunday, May 7. Artist Billy Bert Young has been commissioned to turn one construction wall into a large (26' x 8') mural that the community can help complete at the big event!
A lot of big projects in the city divide the citizens, but this one unites them.
What is your vision for the mural?
The theme is construction and transformation. I feel like the Centre at the Forks is an optimistic project and something that all Londoners can look forward to.
A lot of big projects in the city divide the citizens, but this one unites them. All my work has an element of chaotic dynamism with smoke, tubes, and lights all interconnected. It works with the construction. It’s a hopeful mural because there’s a lot of optimism around this project.
The mural will be 26 feet wide by 8 feet tall. How are you using the space?
Look closely and you can see people watching construction take place in town, signs about urban development, and an all-seeing eye, which is a reference to Picasso’s Guernica and large scale murals.
I want to move the viewers' eyes and keep them looking longer. Beams of light and velvet ropes connect different elements and show a journey of an idea being conceptualized to making it a reality. I added a few signs in the piece that reference how the city is growing. There's a beacon of light at the Centre of the Forks that is shining out onto the construction.
How are you engaging the community with this project?
I’m working with Beal Art students so they can learn from an established artist and see the process of meeting with an organization and completing a large project. They will help me outline the mural so it can be completed in time for the Hard Hat Party. During the event, everyone will be encouraged to contribute to the mural by painting it. I hope people bring their own ideas to the mural and that those are part of the completed piece.
During the big event, everyone will be encouraged to contribute to the mural by painting it and helping to complete it.