Courtesy of @cityfoundrystl
Case Maclaim
German muralist Case Maclaim works on a new mural for City Foundry STL.
When German muralist Andreas von Chrzanowski, also known as CASE Maclaim, was asked to paint a large wall at City Foundry STL in partnership with CASS Contemporary and The Women's Creative, he did some preliminary research so that he could provide a sketch of the design. He wanted to paint something that connected to the community and to the mission of City Foundry STL but was unable to come up with a concept until arriving in St. Louis. “We needed to see the environment,” says Maclaim through his wife, Samira, who helps translate for the artist.
They arrived in St. Louis last Monday, and on Tuesday visited the wall and talked with people who work at City Foundry. Through these conversations, they developed a concept that was quickly approved by Steve Smith, the developer of the Foundry.
The mural is located along Foundry Way underneath the Fresh Thyme building. “It’s a very long wall, so we came up with a sequence that would incorporate the whole wall. There are five frames where you will see a woman tying her apron,” says Maclaim. “We like to represent how women, especially women in the workforce, are the glue to society.”
Maclaim’s work highlights the universal nature of the human experience by focusing on the working class, fathers, schoolchildren, and women and using spray paint to create life-like graffiti images that combine photorealism with a hint of surrealism. Hands are also prominently portrayed in his work because, as Maclaim says, they “represent a universal language.”
“Hands have the deepest impact, because it’s very easy to understand the story you want to bring across in your mural,” he says. “Every mural needs to have a story, because if it doesn’t, it could easily be replaced with an advertisement.”
Maclaim was hoping to have the mural finished before Friday’s art takeover event, but when you paint outside, the weather determines when you can paint. “Weather in St. Louis is not a nice part,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of rain, and we have to work with light, so our working hours are as short as daylight is.”
However, the gloomy workdays have given the couple a little time to explore St. Louis and have some fun while being in the city. “St. Louis is a beautiful city, and for once, it’s not a crowded city. It feels like there should be more people here. One thing we learned from Milwaukee already is that Midwestern people are unbelievable nice,” he says. “We also got to celebrate our first Halloween. We got costumes, and the neighborhood we’re staying in went crazy with a popcorn machine and cotton candy. It was everything we could have asked for.”
Maclaim anticipates finishing the wall by November 7, but you can get a glimpse of his progress on November 5 at the "In A Way: A Takeover for the Arts" block party, which is being put on in partnership with City Foundry STL and #314Together. In addition to the mural, several local artists will be featured at the event, which takes place from 6-9 p.m. Maclaim will be also be speaking at the Angad Arts Hotel on November 4 at 5 p.m.
