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“I like to work with the history of the area and do some research to find out what the buildings are used for and the demographic,” Mitchell said.
The Brisbane Street Art Cycling tour takes participants to public works across the city. Credit: Brisbane Street Art Festival
“And think of something which might play off the existing architecture or maybe tells a local story.”
As The Tivoli is predominantly a nighttime venue, Mitchell has planned to use “deep reflective colours” to catch the eye of show goers.
“A lot of my recent stuff has been exaggerated realism. It’s been a good challenge to try and design something to fit that maybe isn’t my typical portrait.”
Mitchell has been immersed in urban art scenes across the world, including while living in New York and Prague. For him, public street art is a placemaking tool and helps people connect with cities.
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“I like to use public art as placemaking when I come to a new city. I might not remember the street name but I’ll go, ‘oh yeah, there’s this wall on this corner and you take two blocks and go to this wall’.
“A world full of art is not a bad thing.”
The Brisbane Street Art Festival runs from Saturday, May 4 to Sunday, May 19, with the official launch party at Superordinary from 5pm tonight.
The festival includes free mural sites, exhibitions, workshops, panel talks and a street art cycling tour, ending with a closing party at Felons Barrel Hall on May 18.
Visit the festival website for the full program and more information here: https://bsafest.com.au/.
