Internationally-recognized Guelph illustrator and cartoonist Seth has hit the wall, as in the wall of the Bookshelf in downtown Guelph.
Seth has created a giant mural, measuring 10 feet high and 60 feet long. It dominates the second floor wall of the independent bookstore and movie theatre, facing the parking lot,
The piece was commissioned by the Downtown Guelph Business Association. It's called The Junkyard of Memory and reflects the personal memories of the artist.
“Almost all of my work is about memory and time and much of that work is on a very small scale,” Seth said in a press release announcing the work.
“This unusual opportunity presented me with a challenge — how to incorporate such private themes into a large piece of public art. In the end, I resolved this dilemma by falling back on my skills as a cartoonist—employing the large size to tell a very small story.”
Cultivating a healthy cultural landscape was key in the conception of this project.
Business owner Hannah Minett said "the piece is a wonderful enhancement of space and the Downtown Guelph Business Association should be proud for prioritizing beauty and storytelling in urban landscape and design."
Seth will be at the Bookshelf May 28 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the official launch of the work.
Seth is one of the foremost cartoonists in North America. His ongoing comic book series Palookaville began in 1991. His work has appeared on the cover of the New Yorker and he has exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is the subject of the 2015 National Film Board of Canada documentary Seth's Dominion.
A selection of his most recent work is being featured in a small exhibition installed in the gallery of Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art on Quebec Street until the end of June.
