Uptown Saint john Welcomes Artist Uber5000

Saint John can expect to see another piece of art being worked on Uptown.

Mural artist Allan Ryan, better known as Uber5000, is painting an underwater scene on the back of Historica’s newest uptown building, Parrtown Place.

He says his piece is inspired by what lives under the water, and a whole lot of imagination.

“Being so close to the water, I think people’s imagination about what’s underneath kind of runs wild. Rather than to paint a real life picture of some of the exact species that are around, its more like, what do you imagine to be under there?” he said during an interview.

“Kind of reflecting on sea monsters and the imagination of the unknown, I guess that’s exciting for me. I really just want to hold people’s attention for a little bit and have them go ‘Wow’ and then walk away and think, ‘Did I see enough?’ and want to come back and see more.”

Ryan, originally from Cape Breton, studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax to refine his style and skills.

He says painting outdoor murals is his specialty, and his favourite thing to do—especially during the summer.

“I think doing mural projects outside in different communities with spray paint. It’s just really nice to be in a community and meet all the live in the community and work in the community, and see all the character,” he said.

Ryan says he paints entirely with spray paint, and has been using a large swing stage to reach all angles and corners of the multi-storey mural.

Keith Brideau, president of Historica Properties, says everything in the area of Grannan Lane is just so photograph-able, and he wanted to add something to that.

“The location of that wall in between the buildings, and when you come out of Rogue Alley… Rouge Alley is probably the most photographed place in New Brunswick these days, but there was something that was clearly missing,” said Brideau.

Victoria Clarke, executive director of Discover Saint John, the company behind Ryan’s stay, says she hopes to bring some more vibrancy to the neighbourhood.

“We saw that space be re-envisioned by citizens, and invited Allan to re-imagine that space. Just even in the few days that Allan has been here, to see the reaction to that, people can’t believe the scale, people can’t believe the skill, and they’re very curious,” she said.

Ryan says this is his second time to Saint John. He visited a few years ago, and used his time in the Port City to inspire a mural about New Brunswick in Toronto’s graffiti alley.

The plan is to have this mural completed by September 1st.

“You never know what the weather is going to throw at you, but it looks on course now to be done and thoroughly polished by then,” said Ryan.

You can find more of Uber5000’s work online.