bumblebeelovesyou
Jack and Jill
“The image is a classic in my body of work, a boy in love with a girl, truly inspired by my own relationship while still referring to moments of being a kid when we had no care in the world.”
THE ARTISTS: Born and raised in the southeastern part of Los Angeles County, Bumblebeelovesyou uses stenciling and mixed media to create images of children on unloved walls of his hometown. Considerate and thoughtful, Bumblebee’s work also deals with issues such as child homelessness and the impact of modernity on nature. Despite the seriousness of his subject matter, his works are not heavy. Instead, they are whimsical, playful and exude a sense of childish innocence, freedom and joy. He has completed several high-profile murals including, “Keep Up,” at Google headquarters in Venice Beach, “Final Cut,” on the KODAK building in Hollywood and “Beach Day,” in Santa Monica, Calif.
THE ART: A 110 ft. by 17 ft. mural depiction of two schoolchildren, a boy and a girl, casually facing each other. A juice box, lunchbox, book, and backpack contribute to the innocence and nostalgia of the typical after-school scene. This is the artist's largest work to date. This mural was funded in part by the Napa County Board of Supervisors through a Napa County Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee grant.
THE STORY: “The pose of how the kids are sitting is inspired by a Norman Rockwell image that I saw briefly while going through my bookshelves. My goal was to create a modern version of that pose, while keeping in mind the train ride, Napa Valley, nostalgia, contemporary. The image is a classic in my body of work, a boy in love with a girl, truly inspired by my own relationship while still referring to moments of being a kid when we had no care in the world. Some people have asked, why is the book blank? My answer to that is that I did not want to dictate the viewers’ imagination. It could be a book, or maybe it’s a sketchbook, or maybe you can take a picture of it with your phone and draw in your own page…”
THE PLACE: The back wall of the Central Valley Building at 1785 Tanen St., south of Jackson Street.
