Gaia Street Art
A blend of the urban landscape and fine art, that is what Baltimore based street artist Gaia displays in his new Waterloo mural. A young artist, who has already gained critical acclaim around the world, Gaia got his start making posters in New York and moved to wall murals as a way to do his art in a larger and more provocative way.
Gaia thinks big, but is also very aware of the neighborhoods in which he paints and the impact that his work has. Full of ideas and critiques on how to best deal with urban post industrialism, he hopes his art can be useful in the process of creative place-making and neighborhood rejuvenation. He hopes his art can help inspire positive neighborhood change.
He also discusses trying to find a balance in his work, trying to be respectful of neighborhood residents without allowing his artistic vision to be manipulated.
In Collinwood, his aim is to create a mural that reinvigorates and has a cultural significance. Featuring an industrial landscape with fine art elements, the mural celebrates Cleveland’s rich artistic and commercial histories and considers how they intertwine. As Gaia explained, “It is a metaphor of a new urban frontier.” The mural’s weaving of Cleveland strengths makes it a tribute to the city’s past while also proposing an optimistic future.