Street art: LA artist creates 12m mural in Te Puke

Eric Skotnes and Angelica Navarro have been creating a mural on the side of Te Puke's Capitol Cinema as part of the Street Prints Mauao festival.

An interpretation of one of the world's great artworks dominates Te Puke's Boucher St car park.

The 12m high mural has been created by Los Angeles artist Eric Skotnes and assistant Angelica Navarro as part of the Street Prints Mauao Festival.

It is one of 18 murals created over the festival's five days, but the only one in Te Puke.

There was a steady stream of people stopping to chat or just watching as the mural took shape.

Eric says he has had an amazing time creating the mural in Te Puke.

''The people are so genuine, and accepting. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced.
People are bringing us food, they are bringing us coffee, they are very appreciative - it's just been nothing but love from everybody.''

Now happy to talk about his art, that wasn't always the case. Eric is from a graffiti background where, he says, ''you don't want the attention''.

''Now I've branched out and left that behind.''

He says one of the reasons he creates street art and takes part in festivals is to show something positive can come out of something people see as negative.

But he didn't realise where it would take him.

He was in Miami before heading to New Zealand and has also worked recently in Israel, Ohio, Denver and Chicago.

''When I was a kid I never thought I would make a living out of this and would travel the world and see places along the way.''

At home in Los Angeles, he paints sets for movies and TV series, including Fast and Furious 9 and Brooklyn Nine Nine and works with actors, teaching them how to mimic proper painting styles.

He also does youth outreach in LA, explaining his techniques and philosophies to young people.

Eric and Angelica began work on the Te Puke mural last Thursday, finishing on Tuesday in time to head to Palmerston North for another festival.

Eric Skotnes working a detail of the mural on the side of Te Puke's Capitol Cinema.

The mural depicts Bernini's Ecstasy of Saint Teresa adapted to Eric's own style.

While the height of the wall didn't daunt Eric, the texture of much of the wall was a difficulty to overcome.

''There's a lot of detail in my work and I do it all with a brush - so the texture of the wall was a challenge for that.''

He says his interpretation is more about Bernini than it is about his sculpture.

''In the depiction, [Teresa] is coming to religious enlightenment and I think that's like finding a small piece of yourself.

''I'm not religious myself, but I have researched a lot of religions, and I think when you find that peace inside, which I think it something Bernini was trying to get across, that is something small that you can take with you.''

While largely based in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, Street Prints Mauao co-organiser Jah Smith says the Te Puke mural is an introduction to what could be a future Te Puke-based festival organised in conjunction with the Tapuika Iwi and Ngā Kākano Foundation.

In starting to look into the possibility of a Te Puke festival, Jah spoke to Capital Cinemas owner Ross Trebilco.

''We were speaking to him because we were going to do a few different murals in Te Puke and we did get a few walls, but what we thought we'd do as an introduction, we'd use his wall because it's such a prominent wall, and include it as part of Street Prints Mauao.

He says there could be between eight and 10 murals resulting from a Te Puke-based festival.

This year's is the third Street Prints Mauao festival, the first and second in 2015 and 2017.

Co-organiser Lovie Smith says this year's festival drew artists from Greece, Ireland, the USA, the UK, Italy and Australia as well as New Zealand.

Working closely with local iwi, the 2020 festival had the theme the Māori proverb Ahakoa he iti, he Pounamu - Although small, it is precious.

''The festival is about our community and for the artists to use their talents to put back into the community.

''At the end of the day, they will leave, but the murals will stay, so it's important for us that [the art] connects to the area.''

She says that by empowering artists to contribute in this way, the festival stays at a grass roots level.

Street Prints Mauao opened with a powhiri on the top of Mauao to welcome the artists, visitors, and sponsors.

The festival also included activities open for the public such as live painting, an apprenticeship programme, art workshops, youth mentoring, an exhibition and auction.

■ What do you think of the new mural? Email news@tepuketimes.co.nz (usual letter rules apply)