Artist Chris Carlson lives in Denver. He is a Nuggets fan. Painting a mural in Los Angeles based on the Lakers legend may not have been the most obvious choice for him.
“My relationship with the Lakers is complicated,” Carlson told the Times in an email interview. “Being from Denver and growing up a Nuggets fan, I watched the Lakers knock us out of the playoffs every season. [Carmelo Anthony] For years. ”
But Carlson is a huge Kobe Bryant fan, so he jumped at the chance to paint a mural next to a basketball court in Venice Beach that was commissioned by Nike to highlight Bryant and the Black Mamba’s characters.
“I’m definitely a Kobe fan!” Karlsson wrote. “His skills were unparalleled and his work ethic was inspirational. Much of his philosophy of striving to become a better athlete also translated into becoming a better artist. It’s applicable. Embracing discomfort and pushing beyond your perceived limitations really resonated with me.”
Carlson and Indiana-based artist Nate Baranowski finished painting the larger-than-life mural this month. It showed Bryant with a fierce frown on his face. A giant snake appears to break through the painting and wrap itself around Bryant, ending up with their heads lined up. The top features Nike’s Swoosh logo and the words, “This is not the year of the snake. This is the year of the mamba.”
Mike Asner, who runs the website KobeMural.com, posted a video of the mural on the site’s Instagram page this week, and the post went viral, receiving 2 million views and 187,000 views in three days. received “Likes!”.
“That’s not normal,” Asner said, adding that a typical post featuring Bryant’s mural would receive 150,000 to 300,000 views and 10,000 to 15,000 likes. I am estimating.
Asner said he thinks people are drawn to the mural’s “realism and 3D nature.”
“People fell in love with it,” Asner said. “I’ve never seen people so excited about a mural.”
Below are details of the Times’ interview with Mr. Carlson. Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.
How did this project come about?
Nike approached me about creating this mural in Venice Beach. They had an idea to incorporate 3D optical illusions and trompe l’oeil into the Kobe mural they were planning, and they approached me as I am good at optical illusion murals. I love their concept and was very happy when they chose me for the project.
What inspired the design?
The design started with a black mamba (snake). I wanted the snake to wrap around Kobe’s portrait in a way that shows the two are linked and forever connected. Having the mamba break through the wall helps create a sense of intensity and power that I really wanted to express in the mural. It’s like Kobe and the Mamba are challenging us to be the best versions of ourselves. The architectural element in the corner is the Kobe logo. I think they help draw the viewer’s eye into the middle of the mural.
What were people’s reactions like while you were working on it?
The reaction of people on the court was great while we were painting. As soon as people realized it was a Kobe mural, their excitement began to grow. It was one of my favorite painting experiences because I received so much encouragement from the public while I was painting.
How is this project different from your regular work?
This is my largest mural to date, so it presents some different challenges. But it also allows the artwork to have a big visual impact. I don’t usually paint in famous places like this. It was an honor to paint a mural featuring an iconic figure like Kobe Bryant in an iconic location like the Venice Beach basketball court.
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