Public art can say a lot about a city. Think the sprawling tags of 5 Pointz in Queens, the surreal faces of the Mentalgassi in Berlin, or the intricate wheat pastes that scream London Town. Complex and Bombay Sapphire recently teamed up to highlight individuals changing the art scene in their respective communities in a new documentary series, The Avant Guards.
For our latest installment, we traveled to Atlanta to meet up with local artist Peter Ferrari and Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series winner William Mize to witness their first collaboration, a large scale mural in an otherwise desolate part of the city. Their piece, featuring hands outstretched underneath a psychedelic colored house, is a direct reflection of Atlanta, as the house was modeled after a photo Mize took in his own neighborhood. While the house is dilapidated, the vibrant colors and open hands welcome the viewer, invoking a sense of community on what once was a barren wall. Witness the two painters meet for the first time and watch how they play off each other’s strengths in the video above.
For more of The Avant Guards, check out our first episode featuring two Miami artists' surrealist take on “The Last Supper.”
