Huff Post: Maine Mural Projection Artists Discuss 'Photo-Bombing' (EXCLUSIVE)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/11/maine-labor-mural-brokefix-photo-bombing_n_847091.html




Amanda Terkel
Amanda Terkel [e-mail]

WASHINGTON -- Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) has admitted regret over ordering his Department of Labor to remove a mural depicting the state's labor history from its lobby in the middle of the legislative session. Since he made his announcement, protesters have threatened to form a human chain and the federal government has stepped in.

Inadvertently, the move also made the mural larger than life -- literally. Late at night on April 2, a group of three artists calling themselves "BrokeFix" visited Maine's capitol building in Augusta. Running a projector out of their car, they projected a large image of the mural onto the capitol's edifice for roughly two hours.

A video of their stunt went viral, even making its way to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who called it a "brilliant idea," a "giant fantastic slideshow right on the outside of the people's house."

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuxSEvFkPiQ&feature=player_embedded

The Huffington Post obtained the first interview with the members of BrokeFix on the condition that their identities not be revealed. That interview took place on Friday -- like much of the group's work, late at night.

"The beauty of what we are doing is in the DIY mentality that fuels the project," the BrokeFix members said. "The methods we use to achieve our projects are crude, and we, very much so, are making this all up as we go along. We are hoping that this video acts as something of a springboard for more people to get out there and produce something. Anything."

The artists said they had been experimenting with photo-bombing -- a type of non-destructive graffiti and street art -- and used the mural controversy as a test case. The biggest question, they said, was whether they could properly and safely get the technical pieces right.

Like most appliances, the lamp used to project the mural runs on alternating current (AC). In order to project from the road, the artists had to derive some sort of power source.


FULL story at link.

[Lefta Dissenter]

1. awesome!

We were talking about a very similar project at a little meeting we had the other day.

Our idea was bolstered by seeing some images, including our "Solidarity fist" projected on the outside of the Capitol last Monday, at the MLK vigil.

Thanks!