"Kingdom" by DISTORT
BY A SINGLE ARTIST
Mural art is on the rise. In New
Jersey, there is no better place to
witness how they've emerged as an
important public art than in Jersey
City. Thanks to organizations such as
the Jersey City Mural Arts Program,
these site-specific installations of
contemporary art have been popping
up more and more each year. In the
fall of 2017, graffiti artist DISTORT
completed "Kingdom"—which now
also happens to be the largest mural
in the state completed by a single
person. The project, located on
the side of Mecca & Son's Trucking
Co. outside the Holland Tunnel,
characterizes scenes from the city's
industrial roots and local culture.
The 31-year-old artist, who painted
his first mural during high school,
defines his aesthetic as "a blend
of art history and current events."
Though his style remains consistent,
the subject matter of his work is
often adapted to fit the canvas or
in this case, the city. "It was both
the most challenging and personally
rewarding mural I have ever done,"
DISTORT told VUE. "While it has
been many years in the making,
this was certainly a turning point in
terms of scale and logistics. It was
also an extremely important learning
experience for me as an artist."
For more on the artist, visit
distoart.com
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