Recession mural stirs controversy
November 25, 2009 by Al Harris
A mural on the back wall of a Fan District business has caused a stir, with some neighbors demanding that it be painted over.
The image is of a man in a business suit gritting his teeth while he presses a revolver against his temple. The title? Recession 2009.
“Honestly, the idea just came from life, dealing with politics right now and what everybody is going through with the recession,” said Hamilton Glass, the artist who created the mural. “Me personally, I’ve been affected. I was laid off about six months ago.”
Glass said the mural is not meant to encourage violence, but rather to express the stress and frustration associated with the recession.
Glass was working as an architect for Thomas Hamilton and Associates, the same firm that designed the Westin hotel at Reynold’s Crossing. But as the economy slowed down and the pipeline for projects dried up, Glass said. He lost his job.
“Corporations don’t have the funding for big projects and work gets so slow, so people got to go,” Glass said. “All the firms have laid off people and are still continuing to,” he said.
Since getting the slip, Glass has been working full-time as an artist, traveling back and forth between his hometown of Philadelphia and Richmond, where he bought a home two years ago.
Glass met Adam Bell, the owner of the computer repair shop and web design firm ALB Tech, over the summer when he and another artist had an exhibition at the shop. The duo struck up a friendship and Bell agreed to design a website for Glass in exchange for a mural on the front of the building.
But it is the painting that Bell hired Glass to put up on the back wall that has gotten all the attention.
BizSense was unable to speak with Bell by press time, but Bell told RBS news partner CBS 6 WTVR that he had received demands from the nearby Miller House Bed and Breakfast to remove it shortly after it was unveiled about a week ago. Rather than face confrontation, Bell has decided to concede and take down the mural by Dec. 1.
“In my opinion they have threatened us but don’t have any legal right to [make us] bring it down, but Adam wants to stand in good graces with the neighborhood and that’s fine. I’m behind him 100 percent,” Glass said.
You can see the mural behind 1208 W. Main St. before it is replaced by a new mural by Glass. The mural also has its own website you can access here.
Al Harris is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to Al@richmondbizsense.com.
[...] Richmond BizSense has the story of the new mural painted on a Fan business that has brought criticism and demands for removal. The mural–entitled Recession 2009 and painted by Hamilton Glass–features a man in a business suit with a revolver cocked at his temple. It is depicted on the back of ALB Tech–a computer repair and website design shop at 1208 W. Main St. [...]
I can understand businesses and neighbors wanting to protect the historic nature of an older and popular district like this area, but I think this artwork is poignent. It doesn’t come across as shock art, like a lot of “bandit art.”
Also, if it’s in the rear of the building, and the property owner has agreed I don’t see the big deal.
The symbolic depiction of what could be white corporate America committing suicide is ironic given the financial gambling, unbelievably greedy bonuses, bailouts to Wall Street, and lack of corporate accountability underlying the causes of this recession. I would have preferred to see working-class folks who are now homeless or hungry because of the actions of our financial executives and the politicians in this country.
Adam should be thinking about what the mural says about the ALB Tech brand. And then he should thank his lucky stars (and his neighbors at Miller House Bed and Breakfast) for exercising the good sense that he lacked.
I’m all for free expression, but business owners can’t deny the public the right to vote with their wallets, and I would bet money this mural will cost him business.
What does this mural depict? Despair? Desperation? Hopelessness? Why would ALB Tech want to associate those qualities with their brand?
Have the artist modify the mural by changing the gun to a water pistol.
As someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, I don’t take an image like this lightly. I am all for more public art in Richmond, and this man is obviously talented, but I think he could have figured out a different image to convey the message of frustration.
I doubt that the business will lose many customers. In fact, the publicity alone might be worth it.
[...] here to read “Recession mural stirs controversy” at Richmond [...]
[...] Richmond BizSense has the story of the new mural painted on a Fan business that has brought criticism and demands for removal. The mural–entitled Recession 2009 and painted by Hamilton Glass–features a man in a business suit with a revolver cocked at his temple. It is depicted on the back of ALB Tech–a computer repair and website design shop at 1208 W. Main St. [...]
Bad taste all around: 1) the painting, 2) the outrage over it, and 3) the apparent compulsion to report on it. Incidentally, the “historic nature of an older and popular district” doesn’t have any relevance to the issue.
You’re either part of the solution, or you’re part of the problem. This offers no solutions or commentary – I don’t know anybody who’s committed suicide because business is a little down. The only suicide rate I read about is our military’s, which is up dramatically. Things don’t get better because of fear.
Regardless, this seems like a TALENTED artist expressing HIS frustration…that doesn’t mean that its in good taste in a public forum. Why not do a print from this or take it to a gallery, where the artist can be showcased in an appreciative environment? Who knows, he might be seen and hired.
I’m with Ren Schmidt on this one. My father passed away in exactly this manner, and not over something as relatively trivial as losing a good job. Art may be in the eye of the beholder, but this is just a bit over the top and out of place. Virtually no one would want this mural in their neighborhood. At an art gallery perhaps, not on the back of a wall
I know people that have been laid off, their thoughts have not been what the artist portrayed.
Not that Glass wants suggestions but the piece would be more effective and defensible if he’d used a staple gun or a rolled up master card statement. Maybe a cake mixer, or a bunch of tulips. I’ll shut up now.
Just remember that even though he said he was going to take the mural down, he also said that he was going to replace it with one that is probably going to be just as unique and questionable.
Even though people are saying this is horrible, it does depict what I hear coming out of people’s mouths all the time! Draw on because it definitely gives us something to talk about!
Glass is speaking death over the city with an image such as this. It doesn’t really do much good for the community at all! If you constantly spout negativisms, then that is exactly what you get.
Why not use your good talent and speak life to our city, and offer a hope that we can overcome as one people? Speak life into your situation and the situation has no choice but to improve. Glass – get your CRAP ART out of our city, because RICHMOND WILL OVERCOME!!!
I found his website
http://www.WhosHam.com
If I ever need computer repair, I sure won’t be using ALB Tech. Awful judgment in allowing this to be painted on an exterior wall.
Floyd,
Location as well as subject matter is very important when it comes to Public Art. Public Art has to balance to creative expression of the artist with the tastes and attitudes of the community. If this were on an alley wall in an industrial corridor, we wouldn’t even have this conversation. But I still like this piece.