A view of the mural, looking north into the alleyway from the downtown square / Photo: Todd Gill, Fayetteville Flyer
Work continues this week on a new three-dimensional mural on the downtown Fayetteville square.
Local artists Octavio Logo and Eugene Sargent have been working since last month on the project in the narrow alley west of the Arvest Bank building on the north side of the square.
The mural features a warrior named Athena whose sword and shield are traded for a paint brush and palette to signify the power of art.
The artists are using an artistic technique called anamorphosis in which an object is depicted in a distorted perspective requiring the viewer to take special action – such as looking at it from a specific angle – to see the intended image.
Eugene Sargent in June shows members of the Fayetteville A&P Commission a model of what the mural will look like once completed.
Photo: Todd Gill
The artists said the long, narrow alleyway presents a perfect opportunity to employ the technique. Viewers inside the alleyway won’t be able to see the full image, but the image will become clear when looking into the alley from the sidewalk along the square.
The project was funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission, and is part of the Fenix art gallery’s “Our Universe” series. Hayden McIlroy, who owns the building where the mural is being painted, also pledged $10,000 for the project.
View of the mural looking south inside the alleyway / Photo: Todd Gill
The alley includes a side entrance to Arvest Bank, but also provides access to Fenix. Logo and Sargent are both members of the Fenix cooperative, which houses the gallery space and participates in various pop-up shows throughout the region.
The artists said they expected the project to last six to eight weeks in total, weather permitting.
