Barnorama All Fun In The Barn
On buildings across the world, children are peering off into rainbow-colored alternate universes, or poking their heads through some kind of barrier into a world beyond this one. They seem to be captured in the moment right before they step through, into a dream world, into adulthood, or into the future.
These are the murals of a French street artist and muralist who goes by the name of Seth Globepainter, whose work can be found across Europe and Asia, in public spaces, decorating the walls of buildings, and even within private homes. His fantastical, cartoonish style has a playful, approachable feeling, but there’s an ambiguity to the work that makes you wonder about it for a moment longer than simply appreciating the bright colors and unique style.
Repeated imagery in the murals includes pensive or sleeping children, and children looking through what appear to be portals into another realm. This concept of the borders of perception is also seen in his combination of black-and-white work with areas of bright, vibrant color. All of his work seems to suggest looking beyond the immediate and physical to a world of brighter color and, possibly, better worlds. Many times, the figures’ backs are turned to us, the viewers, and seem to be more concerned with the worlds opened up by Globepainter rather than ours.
This mural is actually inside someone’s house. The owner of the house is named Thiam.
Getting catty in Vietnam.
Not all of his murals deal with those themes, but they still have the bright, optimistic feeling and rainbow palette. The murals are charming and appealing, but they also speak to a deeper understanding of human growth and shaping of the world, as well as common experiences across lands and cultures.