Industrial paintings and commercial decorating come in a variety of forms. Some are more frowned-upon than others, much as some are far better received than others. Regardless, in the line of work we’re in, we appreciate the craftsmanship of these murals, so we decided to bring together some of the best paintings on buildings.
John Pugh
John Pugh is a Californian-born artist that utilises his eye for satirical illusion and paints building facades with murals that follow the ‘trompe l’oeil’ – “trick of the eye” – rules for public interaction, amazement and delight. Pugh is on record explaining his motivations as not only being for the art but for the fact that “… people take delight in being visually tricked.”
John Pugh works with his team of artists for a long period of extensive planning before executing a piece and has worked on buildings in Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan and beyond. The marvel of the works are felt globally, with many turning into landmarks themselves and the appreciation for the work is humorously commented on in the murals themselves, as Pugh often includes bystanders in the frame.
Patrick Commecy
Similar to Pugh, Patrick Commecy is an artist renowned for his 3D optical illusion murals. The works of this artist are employed to liven up dreary buildings in areas that need it, with the works depicting lively street-scenes that represent realistic situations, should the area be in the peak of its popularity in an era passed.
Renditions of scenes that reference those related to the buildings, the towns themselves or the inhabitants of the buildings are common throughout Commecy’s work. For example, there is the famous building in Cannes, France that pays homage to the towns film festival with infamous actors such as Charlie Chaplin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet and Jack Nicholson as the Joker.
The Data Center Mural Project
To commemorate the integral work done in the data centers, Google commissioned multiple murals to place some physical focus onto these buildings, which are often not much to look at. Most of us forget that the people that work in these spaces, along with the technology inside, effectively hold together the world we live in – whether it be searching for industrial painters, leaving a review or sharing photos of the project you just commissioned.
Rather than just something nice to look at, Google wanted these murals to be representative of the work done within. That’s why, for example, artist Jenny Odell created her piece – featured in Mayes County, Oklahoma – through imagery from Google Maps. What started as two, has since grown to four, and is likely to continue to spread to the myriad data centers Google holds globally.
Walldogs
“Walldogs” are artists that create signs for businesses on the buildings they inhabit. Since its boom, the work of these artists has been replaced with computer-generated, vinyl signs and billboards that – while correlating with the culture and climate we live in – can lack the character and artistry these muralists brought to the forefront. Having to work in dangerous conditions, being suspended from buildings and mixing paints containing lead and other ill-health inducing substances, walldogs were underpaid and underappreciated at the time, but are seeing a resurgence.
There is a growing community of artists restoring the former glory of hand-painting company logos and advertisements upon the sides of buildings and returning the character and creativity shown by the walldogs of times prior.
We decided not to mention some of the less-legitimate artists of industrial art, but these works should not be discounted. Artists such as Banksy have created some of the best paintings altogether, let alone their political influence, social commentary and cultural importance. We would still like you to remember that the best paintings, often times, don’t come from conventional sources.
If you would like to hear more about our commercial decorating and industrial painting capabilities, please visit our website. Alternatively, you can call us on 03333 660 408 or fill out our contact form – we look forward to hearing from you.
