Murals in the mountains
“Where human and nature Collide”
Fluke tells the story behind "Collide", a mural he painted as a part of Uplift Mural festival’s first edition. Fluke shares his inspiration behind the work and the impact that it had on him and the surrounding community.
Throughout my career, I have painted murals in many different places, but none have been as serene and beautiful as this one. Located in the Rocky Mountains, Jasper is a small town with a population of about 4500. A rare jewel spanning around 11 000 square kilometers, where nature reigns and overpowers humans and where a wildlife encounter is the norm among its residents. With its boundless wilderness, majestic peaks, plentiful wildlife, and formidable natural beauty, this place is magical. It was an honor to be chosen as a headliner for the Uplift mural festival and experience this unique environment.
It all started when I was contacted earlier this year by the founders of the Uplift mural fest, Logan and Oliver. They invited me to the first edition of the festival. Since the town is located in the heart of a national park, no confirmation was made at that time. This is because the laws and regulations of the park do not permit this type of festival or modification. Thanks to the tenacious founders and to their extensive research and work, the festival was approved.
As I began to work on this piece, I wanted it to represent Jasper's wilderness and its people at the same time. I started researching the town and the park but I was missing the human element. So We decided to schedule a call with the snowdome coffee shop owners, Sam and Shelley, where the piece was meant to take place to understand what Jasper means to its residents and to hear some stories from locals. I wanted to understand the relationship between nature and humans. After hearing the locals' stories and history about the town I had a pretty clear idea where I wanted to go with this piece.
COLLIDE by Fluke 2022
COLLIDE, is a piece inspired by the immense forces that once lifted the rocky mountains up into the sky. This piece features a barreling train, a diving eagle clasping a rainbow trout, the glistering northern lights, a burning hot sun and two rams butting heads. These features coalesce in a fight between color and contrast. This wall is all about energy and the massiviness of the mountains, the beautiful yet unforgiving wild that surrounds them and the intertwined relationships between human and nature.
Wall location: 607 Patricia St, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0
Thank you so much Uplift festival for having me and giving me the opportunity to witness one of the most beautiful places on earth and giving me full artistic freedom to create this piece. A massive Thank you to the crew fleo & nick sweetman for helping smash this 77 feet long beast of a wall in just 9 days, Craig and Pat for filming the adventure and a huge thank you to Sam & Shelley for treating us like family.
