Brooklyn based artist Ray Bartkus has toyed with the idea of reflections in his paintings, drawings and street art work, but not quite like this. When he was invited to paint a building along Šešupė River in Marijampole, Lithuania, the idea to paint it upside down was undeniable. “I never did anything with the reflection in the river before, but since the building was next to it, it was kind of an obvious thing to consider. Though I play with the reflections in other of my pieces, such as “Believers”, or “V”, or some illustrations such as this one for the Wall Street Journal. For me it’s important that the artwork would be fluid, changing, developing, and the river creates that constant flux,” he says. Witty in its execution, the image is a simple one: kayakers, divers and swans enjoying a day of swimming and cooling off. Reflecting right-sight up, their figures magically come to life at its surface. Bartkus’ mural is part of the Malonny Project by the artist and his friends, which supports bringing art to overlooked smaller town communities. Though in a remote area, their work proves the power of new ideas since the mural went viral overnight, giving Bartkus cause to consider a series. His next mural will also be on a lake – at Schloss Leopoldskron palace of The Sound of Music fame in Salzburg, Austria.
“Believers” by Ray Bartkus
“V” by Ray Bartkus