In Bermuda, the City of Hamilton has publicly unveiled the latest VIVID art installation, by artist Tai-Quan Ottely, on the exit wall of the Par-la-Ville Car Park on Church Street.

Artist Tai-Quan Ottely has been working on the fifteen metre long mural over the summer months, putting in roughly 120 hours in total on the project. He applied the finishing touches to it earlier this week. The scene depicts children at play outdoors, in silhouette, against a sun-inspired background. This is Ottley’s largest mural to date and his second submission to the City’s public art initiative.

Tai-Quan Ottley is a young Bermudian artist, multi-talented in a variety of different mediums with distinctive styles such as charcoal, graphite pencils, soft and hard pastels, watercolors, and acrylic paints. His ultimate goal as an artist is to become an established well rounded artist in Bermuda before traveling the world creating artwork.

Of his most recent artwork, Ottley said, ‘I want the artwork to inspire people, especially children, to just go outside and play. It should also invoke in adults a memory when they would go outside and play. I hope people are inspired to get back to the roots of being outside – playing, having fun and just getting away from technology. Personally, I remember marbles were quite fun and I liked flying kites.’

Ottley’s initial idea for the scene came one day at my friend’s house when she kept telling her kids to go outside and play and that they can’t always be inside playing video games. That’s when he remembered how when he was younger, all that most children wanted to do was go and play outside, that’s when he had the idea to do a mural that focused on just that.

Ottley’s artwork is the 17th installation of public art commissioned by the City since the program was started in 2015. Of the City’s commitment to the arts, Mayor Gosling said, ‘The City has a duty to instill vibrancy in the City, it’s in our vision. To be able to do that through the arts gives us the opportunity to put the spotlight on the hugely talented artists in our community. Tai-Quan’s mural is a wonderful depiction of life back in the day, a time before tablets and phones when playing outside was the only option.

‘I’d like to publicly thank all of the contributing artists over the years who have added their unique splash of colour throughout the City, there are eleven of them, and I look forward to what more is to come.’

Source: http://www.royalgazette.com/news/article/20191024/art-installation-on-church-street