A wayward vehicle that smashed into the corner of the Books & Company building inspired the latest mural project in downtown Prince George.
Books & Co. owner Owen Lubbers said the insurance claim that came as a result of that crash last fall got him thinking about replacing the original mural that was painted 25 years ago on the building at 1685 Third Ave.
He tracked down Hans Saefkow, the artist commissioned by former Books & Co. owner Jim Brinkman (Lubbers’ uncle) to paint the original mural Saefkow did in 1999, with its purple background highlighted by distinctive splashes of brightly coloured brickwork in a mosaic design.
Saefkow, now a resident of Smithers, is a sought-after set designer working in the live theatre industry who was with Theatre Northwest for eight years in the early 2000s and still does contract work for the Prince George company.
“We wanted something representative of northern B.C., and a tree silhouette sort of fit the bill,” said Lubbers. “I kind of liked the idea of changing up the colour a little bit and the blue base colour is sort of striking because it’s been the same design on the building for so many years. A lot of folks walk by every day to go to work, so they see the progress every day and it’s cool for them to see the whole thing take shape from start to finish. It’s generated an awful lot of attention both in person and online. They love it.”
Saefkow and TNW painter Bradley Charles spent a full week on the project, prepping the building and painting the west-facing mural that features a two-toned blue-on-white forest of conifers. The mural wraps around the corner that leads to the front entrance of the building to cover up the damage that was done by the vehicle.
“When Bradley and I were painting, a lot of people loved the new design but some were like, ‘Oh man, I miss the old design,’ said Saefkow. “For people in their 20s and 30s, that’s what they grew up with.”
Saefkow uses top-quality industrial paint for murals that must stand the test of time in harsh northern B.C. winters and aside from the colours fading somewhat, at least one of his murals has lasted beyond 30 years.
His original Books and Co. design was inspired by the work of German visual artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Saefkow is never afraid to use colour in his set designs for the stage and suggested it wouldn’t hurt the city’s image if more Prince George building owners were a little more bold in their colour choices.
While he and Charles were painting the mural, passing pedestrians were giving them their thumbs-up approval and conveyed a sense of excitement. One man who worked across the street said the new blue forest gives him something scenic to look at through his office window.
“People tend to be conservative on their colours,” said Saefkow. “In house design, the trend is to muted tones, the boring beige and grey colours because it sells easier. If you drive on the street right now the cars are black, white, grey and silver and if somebody has a bright colour it stands out."
That's not the case in the Maritimes, he said. “I always love those East Coast buildings where everybody paints them bright and cheery. There’s an emotional connection to colour.”
He would like to see more murals on Prince George buildings.
“It’s definitely not the most expensive way of revitalizing a dreary wall, that’s for sure,” said Saefkow.
“It’s public art, essentially, that’s what a mural is,” added Lubbers. “So the idea of the business or private sector taking it upon themselves as opposed to waiting for city infrastructure, it’s just a small way to liven up a space.”
