I met Ernest Doty during a gallery opening that we both had work featured in. After talking he invited me to film a mural he was going to be creating with Chris Granillo and Skombuzo Vbaza next month at an art space in the mission district. I was excited to see what was in store, as I already liked Ernest’s gallery work. His use of two sets of eyes as well as the general mystic quality intrigued me; I attributed it to his upbringing in New Mexico.

I arrived at the location early, was let in by Skombuzo and was shocked by the amount of color already in the space. It seemed to be a former small-scale factory or auto repair shop yet almost every square inch was covered with vibrant murals ranging from tradition letters to large-scale figures. The only space not covered was half of a large wall towards the rear of the main room; this was to be where the new work would develop.

Once Ernest and Chris arrived I was excited to learn that the subject of the mural was to be great American writers, specifically Edgar Allen Poe and Charles Bukowski, I attempted to contain my glee. It was very nice to see muralists recognizing the significance and greatness of these writers as well as understanding the power and influence that their own work could have on others. After some general planning regarding placement Ernset began working and soon after Chris and Skombuzo took their cues and started painting as well.

It was impressive to see how these three artists fed off of each other, taking regular breaks to compare work and collectively decide on the next addition. As Ernest and Skombuzo continued to develop their figures Chris began work on a background. I began to notice how the combination of Ernest and Skombuzo’s characters were being complimented by the style and technique Chris’ was using on the background. The modern, almost three dimensional, style of Skombuzo’s Bukowski as well as Ernest’s self described futuristic and dreamlike depiction of Poe were being contrasted by the Chicano hand-style Chris was using to develop the background. This marriage of past, present and future was something I had rarely seen in large-scale murals and I felt gave the piece an added sense of contrast allowing the characters to really distinguish themselves from the background. Over the course of three sessions the mural continued to develop in this highly collaborative style.Once completed I set up a few lights to properly photograph this vibrant mural and sat each artist in front of their section in order to conduct interviews. I felt that with the highbrow subject matter of this work it was necessary to give each artist an opportunity to explain how they chose each character as well as comment on their broader views concerning street art and it’s impact on society. I was quite pleased with the eloquence of each artist as well as their candor. From all of the interviews I left with a feeling of hope for the street art movement and it’s potential to have a significant positive influence on society in the Bay Area and throughout the world.To accompany this piece I used one of my earliest tracks. I felt that the jazz hip-hop fusion sound captured a sophisticated mood that also incorporated graffiti’s underground urban roots. The addition of effects I felt hinted at the futuristic qualities this piece also holds. The name I had chosen for the track over a year before even meeting these artists was also appropriate: opening transmission.