Located at the Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery, Into the Fire captures the energy of Canada’s largest ceramics gallery with bold colours, fun characters and some last-minute sneaker additions.
This mural was inspired by two key themes: ceramics and music. Ceramics are represented through nods to the Jonathan Bancroft-Snell Gallery (Canada’s largest ceramics gallery) and the characters which appear throughout.
Into the Fire Mural located at The Jonathan Bancroft-Snell Gallery
ABOUT THE MURAL
The letters JBS, which stand for Jonathon Bancroft Snell, might be hard to read but once you see the letters, they really pop. Overall, Artist Brad Biederman wanted them to have the feel of traditional graffiti with an almost abstract touch, hoping the general shapes and colours will catch you, even if you can’t initially discern each letter. JBS also represents Jonathon, Brian and Stephan - names of the three main characters of the gallery itself.
Brad’s inspiration for the characters of this piece began with a lesson from Jonathon Bancroft about the colouring process of artist Judy Blake. Her creations of ceramic characters, especially birds, lead Brad to include a bird strumming a bass instrument in the center of the mural, where the theme of music is showcased. The slave driver (the character in the bowl with the bird) is a creation by Kirsten Abrahamson. Brad painted it to appear as if the slave driver is about to bust out some lyrics along with a little help from a backup singer.
The sneakers in the corners of the mural were a last-minute addition as Brad had noticed an excess of empty space. This acts a nod to the shared love of the Adidas Superstar line of sneakers that both Brad and Brian (of JBS) frequently wear.
