Asheville has some gorgeous indoor and outdoor murals, and here’s one that’s going up at Ophelia’s restaurant on Eagle Street.  Go by and gawk at it, it’s a beautiful painting by the talented Alex Sacui that’s about 3/4 way done.

Click on the photo to see other detail shots of this masterpiece.

Let’s post photos and opinions about the murals around town…

Sacui is an awesome, awesome artist—not praise I give lightly. I’ve been impressed with everything of his that I’ve seen. Did you know that he also does wicked animations as well?

Here’s a picture that doesn’t do this mural, um, justice.  Or maybe it does.

Cool, Joshua!  Where is that?

That’s on the side of the Exxon on Merrimon right by 240.  You know, the 51 Grill place.

I am not sure if I understand it.  There’s a wizard on it somewhere, casting a gambling spell from what I presume to be a mountain.  It goes all around the building and contains some colors that I think don’t exist in nature.  Pretty rad.

The futon place

The Hop’s new location

small and up high

Of course Lexington avenue / carolina lane has it’s share

And AMP is working on a Lexington Avenue i240 mural that is shaping up to be quite nice

love the murals around town, and your photos of them, Zen.

Zen, my question is regarding the mural project under the I-240 bridge at the bottom of Lexington. i thought that was supposed to be underway already. what’s the update? when will work there start? what is the final design? thanks!

Drawings finalized, color palletes have been chosen and who will do what have been pretty much worked out.  Unfortunately Molly Must and the art team got behind with the bureaucracy of insurance and loaning equipment (scaffolding) and just general slowness of the permit system and so have taken a winter breather to get all the finals sorted out.  They’re looking to a very early spring start at least for pre-cleaning and undercoating.

I’ll keep you up to date, Ash.

great! thanks!

we need to get a banksy piece here ... if we don’t already have one???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

http://www.banksy.co.uk/menu.html

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8e0IJSOq0xg

Banksy rocks, but it’s getting tougher to do graffiti in this area because of increased policing.  Remember, Banksy is still considered a vandal.

zen - 13 January 2008 04:20 PM

Remember, Banksy is still considered a vandal.

by SOME ... and i think he likes it that way ...

i’m going to buy his book ... he does shows and sells books and such ... has a worldwide following. i don’t think he’d find it as much fun if it he weren’t on the lam ...

oh i agree, Lumina.  He’s a personal hero.  The swapping of fake Paris Hilton CD’s in stores was art at it’s best (with tracks like “Why am i famous?") and absolutely hilarious.  He’s an artist without a doubt, and i agree with you that he probably thinks being a ‘vandal’ is both exciting and necessary for art.

to get a banksy peice these days would cost thousands, last i checked a few years ago he sold something for a quarter million to brad pitt, why not pay a local artist a few hundred dollars to do something just as good, large stencils are incredibly easy to make, Banksy is great but overrated, hes got it made.  there are so many amazing artists right underneath our noses.

mural for young charter tours on riverside drive

they started working on the lexington one, should be a rager when it’s done

Hi Skippy! :)))

Yep, the Lexington avenue AMP project is cruisin’ right along.  It’s going to be beautiful, i think.