MURAL ARTIST GOES OUT ON A LIMB
IT’S the massive mural that has to be seen to be believed.
Painted across 10 stories – that’s 43 metres high – at Southern Cross University in Coolangatta, the photorealistic mural depicts a standing man with his face turned away.
Artist Guido van Helten, who graduated from the university in 2008 after studying a bachelor of arts, has since installed more than 50 large-scale murals across the globe.
“Before starting any large paintings I do a research project in the lead-up, so during orientation week (at SCU) I was meeting different people, exploring ideas and taking photographs at the university and in the community which then developed into a design,” he said.
“This is an interesting site for me to work with as it’s very large and prominent and a bit industrial looking.”
Despite the magnitude of the works, the entire mural, which will soon wrap around a second wall, will only use about 30 litres of paint.
The artist uses a boom to get him up to the dizzying height and a spray gun to paint.
The mural can be seen from the highway and from North Kirra Beach.