Muralism derives its distinction as an art form from its lack of isolation. Rather than facing the confines of a canvas, which can receive the same perception regardless of its placement, a mural is rooted in its spot. Its size and position within the face of a community makes it a unique aspect of that locale. When international artists travel the world, building a resumé of walls across the globe, it can be easy for each work to feel like mere notches in their bedposts. With their collaboration titled ‘Where’s Wally,’ which took shape in Sacramento, California, street artists Axel Void, Emilio Cerezo, Ivan Floró, and Alberto Montes, acknowledge “the nature of the site-specific, both in concept and practice,” with “a collage of three images sourced from local book stores” throughout the city.
‘Where’s Wally’ occupies an entire, uninterrupted facade of a modern building. A joint statement released by Void describes the piece’s composition. “Torn and reassembled,” it explains, “[these images] form a new triptych-like, emotional portrait. From the bottom, a man in a suit is satirically laughing as an artificial moment of staged happiness explodes from his head. In the middle, people cross a river, a more mundane reference to the beauty of everyday life.”
The mural is highly conceptual, lending itself to multiple, prolonged viewings and individual interpretations. Its three separate sections foster a continuity in ascension, both in subject matter and style. They ascend in complexity, with the bottom-most portion the most simple. They ascend in color, from black and white at the bottom to blue in the middle and a flurry of pink at the top. The singular man’s face at the bottom provides a foundation for this growth in activity.
The artists themselves state that “the piece is open to interpretation, but for the artists, the process embodies the camaraderie that is so embedded in the culture. Reflecting the sense of play and creativity between four friends as they celebrate the errors, random decisions, the laughs and the planning. For the social actions that are often overlooked, the piece opposes the rhythm of ‘collecting’ walls and looks towards a meaningful connection between the artists and the local community.” By drawing viewers in, ‘Where’s Wally’ becomes an active participant in the local culture. Studied appraisals are rewarded when the viewer locates a certain, infamous illustrated character, central to the mural’s name.
This mural was completed for the city’s Wide Open Walls festival. Local news outlet KCRA reported that Sacramento has hosted the festival since 2017, and it has overseen the creation of nearly 100 murals throughout the city, adorning what they refer to as “the city’s canvas.” This year, the festival spanned ten days and brought about the creation of 40 new murals with its annual edition in August, blending work by local and international artists. Void, Cerezo, Floró, and Montes thanked the team at Wide Open Walls for their support, in bringing their talents to this growing artistic center. Sacramento already houses one of my favorite artistic institutions, The Crocker Art Museum, and the growing collection of murals facilitated by Wide Open Walls elaborates on this legacy in the most democratic way possible. Visitors to Sacramento can utilize the festival’s mapping feature to plan their excursion throughout the city, finding ‘Where’s Wally’ amongst the numerous other works that have become integral to California’s capitol.
Axel Void: website | facebook | instagram
Emilio Cerezo: website | facebook | instagram
Ivan Floró: facebook | instagram
Alberto Montes: instagram
