Montclair provides latest canvas for NYC street artist Jerkface
The street artist Jerkface, whose murals riffing on pop culture adorn walls on the streets of Hong Kong, London, Paris and New York, has chosen Montclair for his latest artwork, called "The Gang's All Here."
The anonymous artist from New York City took four days to paint the mural, a collection of familiar comic characters, with a twist, on the wall at 131 Glenridge Ave., next to the Montclair Post Office and facing the parking lot of Glen Ridge Taekwon-do. The artwork was completed last Friday.
The building is owned by Montclair developer Dave Genova, who collects Jerkface art, along with a large "constellation" of Montclair fans. Ria Asmaeil of RiaFrame shop on Bellevue Avenue is the main framer for his collectors and exhibitions.
Genova was contacted by a mutual friend of the artist who asked if he'd be interested in having a mural painted on any of his Montclair properties (Genova owns the Vestry and co-owns the Wellmont Theater with Brian Stolar, among other buildings). The Glenridge Avenue spot was agreed upon; it's outside the central business district so no permits were required. He didn't know what the mural would depict, but gave the artist carte blanche.
It's only the second mural Jerkface has painted since 2020, Genova said, and his only visible mural in New Jersey. One he painted in Jersey City years ago has since been obscured by a new building, he said.
The mural is also notable for its many characters. "He usually builds his murals around one character, but this is a big collection," he said. There's South Park and the Simpsons, Garfield and Animaniacs, Peppa Pig − but look closely, he said, and you'll notice that SpongeBob SquarePants is also Homer Simpson, and Bugs Bunny has on Mickey Mouse's clothes.
The Maddox Gallery in London, which hosted his exhibition last year, describes his art as "nostalgic and subversive," and says he's known for his "playful re-imagings of pop culture."
The mural has already become a bit of an attraction in town, Genova said. "I'm looking out the window and there are about 10 people taking pictures of it right now. It really came out beautiful."
A special coating will preserve it for 20 to 30 years, and includes a UV filter to protect it from fading, he said.
Jason Gleason, director of the Montclair Business Improvement District, whose office is a block away, popped by a couple of times to watch the artist "chalking out" the characters and painting them in.
"Having an internationally-recognized street artist adorn our walls is pretty astonishing," he said. "It shows you where we are here in Montclair."
He said the artist wore no disguise, but for a Yankee baseball cap. "And he's a really nice guy. Nothing like the name would imply."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NYC street artist Jerkface paints new mural in Montclair NJ
