Although a climbing gym may seem like an unusual place for a 13-square foot mural, for Brooklyn-based artist Caleb Freese it makes perfect sense. Despite living in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world, Freese has a deep connection to the natural world and has spent time as a whitewater raft guide as well as a rock climbing instructor, and his art often reflects the conflict between the natural world and city life. For Brooklyn Boulders, a gym which emphasizes creativity and community, a mural which emphasizes the landscape of the city was a perfect fit. Freese’s inspiration for this piece came from the concept of a “tiny planet”, the view of looking down at a globe from above and thus displaying the New York skyline as its own unique universe. Because the space itself is so loud and colorful already, Freese created a mural which is stripped down, extremely detail oriented yet simple, and purely black and white. He wanted the mural to not be attention grabbing in a large sense, but have many small details that climbers can notice each time they come to the gym, and thus have a continuing relationship with the art. Freese employed extensive line-drawings and silk-screening to create this piece. He also has murals in the Chicago and Boston locations of Brooklyn Boulders.
BROOKLYN WITH LOVE
Although a climbing gym may seem like an unusual place for a 13-square foot mural, for Brooklyn-based artist Caleb Freese it makes perfect sense...