100 Gates mural
Mural commissioned as part of the NYC Lower East Side 100 Gates project. The mural is for a store that imports speciality food items from the UK and Europe. They wanted something distinctly British to adorn their gate. I convinced them to steer clear of Union Jacks, red buses, Big Ben, the Queen, tea, bad teeth etc and trust me with something more conceptual and less obvious.
The idea was born out of a desire to create a mural that would have a lasting and positive effect on viewers.
As great as a lot of street art is, I feel that often people notice it, appreciate it, and then forget it all in a hot second. So I decided to use words, to force people to read and to comprehend what they're reading. I felt that using a famous song lyric would increase the chance of people paying attention to and remembering the artwork, maybe even hum, sing or smile to themselves and generally leave a lasting, positive impression on them.
And what's more British than the Beatles (and Gill Sans)?!