Kaaboo — SEAWALLS — DEL MAR, CA
Kaaboo / Seawalls water protection.
I packed a ton of factoids into this wall. The retro science fiction book covers and posters of old bring heavy influence to the work, which was lovingly crafted for the 2016 KAABOO festival of music and arts.
The mural was created in partnership with the PangeaSeed Foundation, with a mission to raise awareness among festival attendees about the need for water protection.
RETRO SCI-FI STYLINGS
I’ve been life-long inspired by the fantastical retro stylings of science fiction art, which often incorporates exaggerated imagery, dramatic perspectives, and unusually vibrant, fauvist color palettes.
These quasi-unnatural combinations are employed for dramatically heightened expressive purposes. These ‘special effects’ capture the sense of urgency we all feel about the environmental issues affecting the region.
Adding to this style was a lot of first-time technical experimentation, mixing spray paint with my usual Home Depot bucket paint.
Doing so allowed me to explore some rather eerie atmospheric effects rapidly, befitting the scant few days of production provided. Luckily, the festival hadn’t started yet, meaning time for focused work was on my side before crowd began its creep.
SANTIAGO SINNERS
The name is a ‘fictional’ device, casting shadow on individuals deviating from ideal moral standards. The lineup features many bad-faith actors such as:
Diazinon. An insecticide whose phase-out began in 1988, after mass bird kills were linked to the chemical treatments over large open areas. Think golf courses. Gross.
Part of an older group of pesticides known as Organophosphates, they pose a potential health risk to children. This risk comes from residue present in food, groundwater, and ocean runoff.
The Chinese mitten crab is classified as one of the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species. Though cute as buttons with their little fuzzy forearms, these bad boys are nearly indestructible, feeding voraciously on nearly anything. The crabs survive on land, in fresh and saltwater, and make rabbits look chaste. Females produce between 250,000 and 1 million eggs per spawning.
Perhaps the most frightening invasion of all are Ideological pathogens. Like viruses, these invasive thoughts infect minds rather than bodies, spreading rapidly and leading to harmful beliefs, division, and conflict.
Not all featured in this piece are invasive however. Some, like the kaleidoscopically hued Allen’s hummingbird, make a guest appearance for the fact that he’s certifiably endangered. According to the Audubon society, this vivid jewel of a bird joins the ranks of many other deeply threatened winged amigos.
There’s also the black jellyfish, very rare these days, recently spotted in the waters off the coast.
And rounding off the list is everybody’s favorite beach swimming buddy/bum; fecal coliform. A true double whammy of shared resource cluster f**king.
KAABOO
This three-day end-of-summer music festival and contemporary art fair in San Diego features over 100 musical performances. It also offers fancy food, cocktails, comedy, dancing, and, of course, loads of live murals and fanciful artistic installations.
Big shout out to artist, master arts administrator, and legitimately beautiful human being Amanda Lynn. She put mountains of love into the project.
Do yourself a favour and check out her work. She embodies a rare combination of artist and efficient arts administrator, a gift to the world. Her presence makes projects like this not only broadly accessible but also easy for all involved.
Making art, like going to festivals, can be fun too.
