The other side of the Mural – BURNT TOAST
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The other side of the mural paints the portrait of artists whose works will enliven the walls of Montreal this summer. Today, we present Burnt Toast and his mural presented by Light & Free.
The Canadian artist Scott Martin, aka Burnt Toast, is on a mission. He’s getting used to the wide, open spaces of a blank wall. The artist has mastered the digital realm – his work has been widely shared and seen on screens around the world. But this time, he’s treading new ground. “Seeing my work out in the wild is one of the most surreal things,” he says.
His colours dip in and out of soft pinks, purples and teals, with clean shadows and the smooth curves of black outlines. But the mural also has an eye-catching touch of bright, bold neon pink. “Colours behave differently in an analog setting. I can’t even access those fluorescent shades on the computer.”
Scott’s style has been described as tongue-in-cheek, and it’s pretty dead on– his characters look soft and friendly, but there’s always a bit of an edge hidden under the pastels and smiles. It’s social commentary made visible and accessible; it might be pretty, but it still carries weight.
The mural, located on Sherbrooke street west of Jeanne-Mance, touches on topics of diversity and inclusion, themes that are essential to who he is and how he sees the world. That’s why the partnership with Light & Free felt natural. “I think the question should be, why doesn’t it mean something to some people? That’s why we need feel-good pieces like these, that represent what our communities actually look like.”
In the next few weeks, Scott is headed to Toronto to paint another mural presented by Light & Free. Stay tuned for more projects and, hopefully, many more murals.
