About Tricolor Circus Mural

“My first artistic hero was Joan Miró. I saw an exhibition of his in Milan, and was amazed that such childlike art could be treated with such importance; that hundreds of people could line up for it. The paintings were so beautiful and simple. That was the first art exhibition I ever attended.”

One of Miró’s “simple” yet iconic shapes holds special meaning for Reid: “Miró’s stars keep me close to Barcelona.” Although he maintains a studio in Barcelona, Reid was unable to return there due to travel restrictions. As a result, he was in Lewisburg and available when approached by Bob Albin, owner of the building where the first mural is painted. Miró-inspired stars -- such as those depicted in The Smile of the Flamboyant Wings -- appear in both murals.

Another “first” for Reid was an unexpected encounter with a piece by Calder. “Alexander Calder was the first artist whose work I saw in a private home,” says Reid. “I also saw a monstrous mobile in a farm field in Connecticut, and it was breathtaking to see this red metal in a green field.”

Integral to the work of both Miró and Calder is the interplay between bright, bold colors – particularly the primary colors red, yellow, and blue -- and neutrals black, grey, and white. Calder’s popping colors and organic shapes, such as those in Santos, are clearly referenced in the first mural.

(Della Hutchison, "The Murals of Modern Art Alley, https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gJ-FlGsGCkOST1p_GhAqD9u2OJE5LpZkQYulCmJMnQk/edit.)