Epic Alien Mural Practically Climbs Off The Wall
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Graffiti, and street art in general, is a hit and miss proposition. Work runs the gamut from crappy, barely legible names scrawled on a sticker and slapped on a parking sign or bathroom mirror, to gorgeous, intricate murals. For the most part, even the good stuff rarely holds my attention for very long. I look at it, appreciate it for what it is, and move on, never thinking about it again. This, on the other hand, is something right up many of our alleys. A massive mural based on the H.R. Giger-designed xenomorphs from Ridley Scott’s Alien, James Cameron’s Aliens, and some other movies that don’t matter as much? Yes, you now have our full attention.
A reader named Loic L. over at Bloody Disgusting took it upon himself, or herself, to share a bunch of photos of this super intense, super awesome Alien mural. This is apparently located—or at least was, it’s entirely possible that it’s gone now, some people have no taste—on Redchurch Street in East London, if that means anything to you. What it means to me is that I’ll never have the chance to see this for myself, but that’s okay, these pictures are still pretty damn sweet.
Then again, maybe someone commissioned this and actually gave the artist the okay to put this piece up. That would make sense, seeing that this thing is so huge. Seriously, it’s like half a block long, maybe more. If the artist did this on the sly, you have to tip your cap to them, because that is one hell of an undertaking.
As indifferent as I usually am to the finished product, watching a really good graffiti artist at work is impressive. Granted, this is coming from someone who can barely draw a coherent stick figure, so take it with a grain of salt, but still. They see things in a different manner than many of us. The way they look at a wall and already envision where the layers of color, shapes, and highlights belong is mind-blowing to someone with zero artistic ability. My brain doesn’t break images apart like that, I’ve tried. Take into account the speed with which they usually have to work, and you only add to that awe. Admittedly, I have a similar reaction to watching Bob Ross paint on PBS, and though this is how many artists approach their craft, the scale and swiftness is admirable.
