Trent Call’s Mural
One of the things I love about Street Art are the characters that become part of the artists signature style. There is something about these in particular that touches a nostalgic chord in me. Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings, walking down to Denure’s shop in town to read the comic books, (then buy one or two for good measure), and reading the Sunday funnies are very fond memories of my youth.
Betty Boop has always been a favorite. Check out one of her early flicks, “The Old Man of the Mountain” on YouTube. One of the things that catapulted her to fame was the longing of folks during the Depression to harken back to a happier time. Another was that she was pre-National Legion of Decency and the early flicks were quite racy. You can’t talk about Betty and not mention the famous Cab Calloway song, “Minnie the Moocher”.
Trent Call
This mural by Trent Call is in the pedestrian tunnel under Bonanza Blvd. on the rail trail in Park City, Utah. The characters remind me of the Betty Boop era (one of the characters has a striking resemblance to her), and could easily have been in one of her movies. I like that the artist has these wonderfully nostalgic characters enjoying many of the fun things that the city has to offer: hiking, biking, skiing, drinking coffee and spirits and also illustrates some of the crossover of the local industry: making movies, roasting coffee and cocoa beans, distilling spirits, brewing beer and mining.
When you are looking for something fun to do in isolation, take a bike ride on the rail trail and check out this spectacular Street Art!