Talking Murals with Austin ‘SLIM’ Gee
Multi-faceted mural artist Austin ‘Slim’ Gee is the Artist in Residence at the property Parc at Wesley Chapel in Tampa, Florida. Slim’s community art offerings have been very popular with both adults and children at Parc at Wesley Chapel, so much so that his residency term has been extended another year into 2022.
Slim is skilled in graphic design, painting and illustration, but is probably most known for his crowd pleasing, large scale public art installations that promote positive thought. He recently completed a one-of-a-kind piece in the clubhouse room at Parc at WC: a large, colorful mural featuring a heron, inspired by the natural wildlife he observes right outside his apartment.
Continue reading our Q & A with Slim where we find out more about how his creation of the mural allowed him to engage with the community.
Video and stills of Slim created by Brian BV Cooper (@b.v.cooper)
Q: How has your creation of the mural in the community clubhouse helped you to engage with the residents of Parc at WC?
A: The mural at PARC is a consistent way for the residents and I to connect. While I was working on it, lots of people were in and out of the clubhouse to do their usual things and would bump into me in passing. Lots of them stayed and watched me work or came back later with their families for introductions. It was really nice to connect with people and share what I love on such a large scale.
Q: Do you think the mural is more meaningful to the residents that were able to see and talk to you about it as it evolved?
A: I think that it is meaningful among all of the residents because of the subject matter and the ties to local nature. I think the people that got to enjoy the work in progress certainly have a special connection with the piece because they got to see it evolve layer by layer… I am frequently in the space and am able to connect with anyone from the community who asks about the mural. They often make the connection that I am the artist that made it because of how popular the AIR (artist in residence) weekly lessons are.
Q: What was your inspiration and thoughts behind the imagery depicted in the mural?
A: My inspiration was definitely tied to the local nature and scenery. There are several herons that reside in the area behind my unit where there’s a beautiful lake. When I wake up, I sit on my porch and enjoy the view and sounds, and I’m sure a lot of others at PARC do as well.
Q: Can you tell us about the history of yourself as a muralist? What do you like about working on large scale projects and murals compared to working smaller scale like on paper or canvas?
A: I really go through stages where I enjoy large scale and then sometimes where I enjoy the smaller meticulous things. For the past few years it has definitely leaned more heavily towards the public art and large scale end of things because it feels like I get to use my voice. I love being able to push positivity and create energy through my artwork and I find that the most interactive way is through large scale work.
artofslim@gmail.com
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Slim’s Website
