Take a good look at these moving works, because rebuilding efforts will render them all ephemeral soon.
Thursday’s news that PG&E blew off maintenance on the power lines whose failure likely caused the November's Camp Fire has brought another round of exasperation with the utility company (and has PG&E wildly spinning out public relations damage control). But one uplifting story is emerging from the Camp Fire aftermath, as the New York Times profiles an artist who is painting murals on the ruins of burnt-out structures in Paradise, CA.
That artist is Shane Grammer, whose most prominent work is amusement park installations at Disneyland and Universal Studios. Grammer is a native of Chico, some 15 miles from Paradise, and many of his childhood friends lost their homes the Camp Fires.
This was my long time friends house, Amber. We grew up together in Chico. They didn’t have much left to paint but I liked the burnt up and twisted shed. I thought it had some great texture. Most of the homes around her home burnt down and are gone. I thought this was such a powerful image and their home is off the grid. Driving up to it is so powerful. Big shot out to my wife Missy Grammer who is taking care of our family back home and believing in me enough to tell me to get back up to Paradise! I want to give a big shout out to @hugheykevin and his law firm Hughey Phillips LLP . Thank you guys so much for been a huge support throughout this project. We couldn’t do it without you! It’s great having the talented Terence Duffy Photographs! . . . . . . #shanegrammer #shanegrammerarts #paradisestrong #hugheyphillips #terenceduffy #buttestrong #streetartglobe #montana94 #montanacolors94 #streetartportraits #streetartgallery #urbanportraits #urbanportrait #sprayplanet
Posted by Shane Grammer Arts on Wednesday, February 27, 2019
“The fire didn’t really hit home for me until friends I grew up with started posting on Facebook,” Grammer tells the New York Times. “It’s not devastation where in six months, everything’s going to be normal.”
All 12 pieces he’s done so far have been with the permission of the homes' owners. The first of these was the above-seen mural of a woman’s face painted on a chimney. That mural was torn down last week, as rebuilding efforts will render most of these works into temporary pieces.
Yes, that’s Jesus on this mural, painted on the remains of Hope Christian Church on Pentz Road in Paradise. Church employee Jeana Darby tells the Times that the “charred baptismal is as encouraging as the wooden cross still standing after the wall burned to the ground.”
Others are homages to the people who perished in the fire, like 84-year-old Helen Pace seen in the photo above.
EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: I Just wanted to let everybody know that behind the scenes we are working hard with dear...
Posted by Shane Grammer Arts on Thursday, February 21, 2019
Some permanent good may come of these temporary murals: Grammer says in a Facebook post that an upcoming art show and coffee table book will feature these works, and that “proceeds will be going to Paradise Fire victims.”
Related: Weather Puts a Damper on Camp Fire Debris Removal [KRC TV]