PETE COSMOS MURAL
October 2017
The winner of our first Walls on Western mural call, Pete Cosmos, is a contemporary artist that has lived in Allston for over a decade.
He has a background in illustration and design, drawing inspiration from from graffiti-based fundamentals with an emphasis on color concepts and vibrancy. Pete has exhibited work at the Made in Boston Gallery, the Boston Center for the Arts, and Pop Allston (to name a few).
ABOUT THE MURAL FACES OF ALLSTON
“When the project was originally brought to my attention, I wanted to do something special and light hearted that represented some of the recurring characters that make up the community and resonated pleasantly with the people of the neighborhood. Each character is a representation of Allston’s history, population, establishments and it’s most popular cliches.
As an artist and longtime resident of Allston, I believe in the impact art can have on a neighborhood, especially Allston, to bring out the vibrancy of the fresh eyes and minds it regularly hosts. It’s rare that a city neighborhood is named after an artist. It’s more rare for the values of it’s namesake to have been carried over for so long and it’s now our responsibility to make sure that torch stays lit.
I am very glad to have been selected for this project and to contribute to its goal of energizing Western Ave with creative programs. These programs play a major role in giving the community more pride in its talented residents and its diversity, and give the visitors of Allston a reason to come back.”
Q&A WITH THE ARTIST
Tell us a little about your background and training?
My background is mostly in painting and illustrations. I do a lot of mixed media and some sculpting but now even those end up mostly grounded with an illustrative style. I’m self taught although I tried a semester of art school when I was 20, it was too expensive and it didn’t seem worth it at the time though. The best way to learn is from experience, I always try to absorb as much perspective as I can from other artists, no matter what their discipline, to learn new approaches and ways of thinking that I can let manifest in my own approach. I like to chop it up with other artists and art appreciators to get out of my of own headspace and try to appeal to the audience that would want to see more of it or to steer it that way.
How did you get started doing murals?
That’s essentially how I got started doing illustrative murals, there were opportunities from the city to paint electrical boxes and I submitted for one with a design and was awarded two in Brighton. I have experience based in graffiti but had never really had the okey dokey before to sit and take time to paint something that wasn’t a three or four letter word I had filled up notebooks with.
What influences your work? Who are a few of your favorite artists?
I like to make art that has unique aesthetics especially in relation to the way colors interact with each other and to keep a crisp, bold outline on everything that allows each color to pop distinctively and not get too overwhelmed or lost. My characters come from the characters I used to paint when I briefly did graffiti, they were quick and easy androgynous faces with very few lines that would be recognizable without having to sign it with any words.
I draw influence from anything that resonates from Eastern Orthodox iconography to Hanna Barbara cartoons and Dr Seuss. I did a piece once based off of a smudge i saw in the shower so it really just depends on how you see what you’re looking at.
WHERE ELSE CAN WE FIND YOUR WORK? ANY PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
I have a few works going up in near future around Allston including a 1000+ sq ft mural inside the Flatbread pizza and bowling alley in Brighton and constant works in progress with Merk Those as a team known as GoodRidinz in Cambridge , Boston, Quincy and along the south shore. I have prints and merchandise that I’ll be expanding over the next month and can art coming out with Down the Road Brewery out of Everett.
This summer I plan on making some big moves as far as shifting all of my focus towards my art and designs and seeing how far or where else that takes me.
Favorite thing about living in Boston?
My favorite thing about Boston is that my family and friends are also here which is really the only thing that keeps me grounded and in still in Boston.
