Graham Allen (left) and Geoff Murphy (right) make up the artistic duo Square Pegs. The pair are responsible for over 30 murals in the area. Photo by Bradley Quinn and Emily Giancarlo
Whether by foot, bicycle or car, when moving around Lexington, one would be hard pressed not to notice a number of larger-than-life iconic murals located throughout the city. While many of the city’s high-profile murals were created by international artists brought in by the local organization PRHBTN, a fair amount – approximately 30 in the region – were created by Graham Allen and Geoff Murphy. In 2013, the dynamic duocreated Square Pegs, an enterprise to showcase their design work, both in branding and logo development, as well as artistic murals. The duo creates its art both indoors and out, large scale and small, in good weather and bad – and sometimes in the dead of night. While Allen and Murphy both hold down full-time 9 to 5 jobs (Allen in graphic design and Murphy in large-format printing), they pour their after-work hours into their freelance business – which sometimes means getting a little less sleep.
“Depending on the scale or location of a project, it’s often more conducive to both our own regular working schedules to work either after-hours or on weekends – if it’s when a business is closed, we don’t have to worry about as much foot traffic, deliveries or others interrupting the process,” Allen said. “I think I’ve stayed up past 3 a.m. more times in this line of work over the past few years than I did in college.”
Among recent creations is a hard-to-miss mural of singer/songwriter John Prine in the Meadowthorpe shopping center commissioned by Apollo Pizza. Film lovers may recognize Square Pegs from its mural of Kentucky native and iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton, looking down from the front edifice of the Kentucky For Kentucky Fun Mall in the NoLi neighborhood. And whimsically inclined art lovers may have enjoyed a self-guided scavenger hunt featuring a fun series of mini murals in unique and unexpected places around town, created as a way to call attention to certain local businesses and to add a playful touch of street art in places where it’s unexpected. The mini murals focus on silhouettes of tongue-in-cheek “hybrid animals” invented by the artists.
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Square Pegs' mini murals featuring creative "hybrid" animals can be spotted around Lexington. Photo by Square Pegs.
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“There’s a beaver with a chainsaw, a giant crab with a fiddle, a flying squirrel with a hang glider, among others sprinkled throughout the city,” said Allen. “They’re meant to catch you off guard and to add a touch of humor to your day.”
Both artists say there is much to love about transforming a plain surface into a beautiful image.
“It’s gratifying to provide something for either a client to best represent their brand or for the public to appreciate, relate to or think over,” said Allen.
Through their creative endeavor, the duo is expanding their range in the region, with a portfolio that now includes a hemp mural in Cynthiana and a mural featuring iconic singer-songwriter Tom Waits on the Paris, Kentucky-based Rooster Brewing, commissioned by owner Ralph Quillin. The artists were recently willing and happy to chat about their work while painting a mural on Manchester Street across from the Distillery District campus. This latest commission required round-the-clock work to be completed in time for a special reveal, a celebrity visit and an announcement by the client (trying to keep it on the down low proved challenging as car after car drove by and honked and waved excitedly as they saw a new addition to Lexington’s public art scene in the works). The mural was created in collaboration with The Spirit Network and Bulleitt Bourbon for a new bourbon and road trip-themed television series featuring Adam Corolla.
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The duo recently completed a Distillery District commission in conjunction with TV personality Adam Carolla's new bourbon-themed show "Bourbon Barter." Photo by Square Pegs
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Photo by Michael Matthews
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Photo by Michael Matthews
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Photo by Square Pegs
Allen and Murphy both chuckle at the enthusiastic response of passersby.
“We’ve met so many different people from all over,” said Allen.
“Our work exposes us to the broad diversity of people who make up the heartbeat of a city,” Murphy added, shaking can of spray paint and heading toward the wall again.
Q: How did you both come to be artists? What background and training led you to your current work?
GRAHAM ALLEN (GA): I grew up in Indianapolis during the ’80s and was largely influenced by a lot of punk, early electronic and skateboarding culture. Board graphics and album covers encouraged a lot of my early tampering with making ‘zines’ and random tagging, mostly under highway underpasses and bridges. In early college I started to fine-tune my interests and focus on art, primarily through graphic design with a large influence from contemporary art throughout the last century.
GEOFF MURPHY (GM): I have been drawing and making art for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would attempt to recreate my favorite Disney characters or draw pictures of wildlife. I took every art class I could in grade school. I attended Kentucky State University where I earned a BA in studio art with a focus on drawing and painting.
Who are some of your favorite artists and influences?
GA: It definitely varies. Barbara Kruger and David Carson are motivators for me with regard to typography and lettering; Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol for mixed media; Albert Watson and Annie Liebowitz for photography; DFace, MyDogSighs, Gary Taxali, Faile, Why Not Associates, Xavier Prou (aka blek le rat) for murals and installation, others.
GM: Two of my favorite contemporary painters/illustrators are Greg Simkins and Jeremy Fish. Historically speaking, I’ll say Picasso and Warhol. Two of my favorite street artists have actually painted here in Lexington, they are ROA and Phlegm.
How did you come to work in large-scale murals?
GA: As a kid it was just to see how large of something you could make. But as you get older and delinquency becomes less of an interest, applying those skills on more a legal, commercial and public level becomes more appealing. Also, the more recent public demand.
GM: The elementary school I attended in South Carolina hired an artist to paint a mural near the main office, and I was fortunate enough to be picked as an assistant. Years later, a fascination with the world of graffiti and street art led me to explore the use of spray paint as a medium. I began practicing on the fence in my backyard and participating in demos at festivities such as skateboarding competitions.
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Square Pegs' murals can be found on the exteriors and interiors of local bars, restaurants and other businesses. Photo by Bradley Quinn and Emily Giancarlo
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Share a little bit about your process. Do you sketch designs first?
BOTH: The process usually depends on the client but generally everything begins as an idea and is sketched out first. It often involves a preliminary meeting to discuss the client’s expectations. If it’s relating to branding, we work with them to either provide a new look or something that complements their existing brand. If it’s more a creative mural for the public interest, we will often search for a location that best fits the composition we have in mind.
Where does your inspiration come from?
GA: It often depends on if it’s a personal or commercial piece. Personally, inspiration often comes from my 8-year-old son or traveling to different cities and admiring the surroundings and art. Commercially, a lot of influence comes from the client and developed research to find what best complements their demographic or branding.
GM: Sometimes the name or theme of a client’s business model and sometimes cartoon characters or children’s book illustrations.
How do you find the locations for large-scale artwork? What are some of the challenges of making public art? The locations? Permissions? The surfaces? The hours in which it can be done? The physical nature of the work?
BOTH: Often the location finds us rather than the other way around. But sometimes a location will just stick out and be a good fit for an idea we might have, so we simply ask the property or business owners and arrange with them.
Most of the surfaces we paint have enough public access that they are pretty easy to get to but often we have to climb on rooftops or over stairwells to get to a sweet spot. That can be pretty challenging. Coming up with creative solutions to the challenges is a fun and rewarding aspect of the work.
How do you find clients?
GA: They find us most often. Word-of-mouth has been very helpful. We’re really fortunate.
GM: Every finished piece is a calling card!
What would you like people to know about your work that maybe they don’t know?
GA: There are Easter eggs [hidden pictures] in our work – sneaky little piece[s] of personality in the piece.
GM: I don’t know what he’s talking about. [Murphy knows how to keep a secret]
Tell me what you think public art brings to a city?
GA: Public art is definitely important. It expresses the taste and attitude of the community. It promotes better physical and mental health by encouraging people to get out in their environment and it’s good for business. Art will bring them in.
GM: Aside from the aspects of beatification, adding vibrancy, color and visual interest, I love the conversation and community it creates. This discussion could revolve around history, education, societal issues or the art itself.
What is the most fulfilling part of your work?
GA: The ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s are very nice and client satisfaction always feels very good. Interest in public art has really gained momentum and we get to feel that. We’ve gotten to do about 30 pieces in the area so far, and we have more in the works. There are great contributions from the artistic community all over Lexington. It feels great to be part of that.
GM: The people we get to work with and meet along the process — the aspect of community. We also get to be part of the movement to renovate and revitalize buildings. It’s great that there is so much interest in public art. There are public art tours you can take and maps now. It’s great that it is loved and appreciated. That’s good for Lexington.
What are some unexpected experiences while making public art?
BOTH: It’s always fun when the local law enforcement drops by to make sure everything is on the up and up – and it is! We have met so many new and interesting people while working in various parts of the city. We are always pleasantly surprised by the generosity of local people who offer to grab us a slice of pizza or some beverages or offer to let us borrow a light or ladder for the evening. Of course, sometimes the weather will take an unexpected turn for the worse, and we have had stray animals decide to hang out for a while.
What is some of the feedback you have received for the public art you do?
GA: People’s expressions when they observe a work-in-progress is always amusing.
GM: We get some confused looks during the creation process but that’s often because they haven’t seen the end result. We’ve had people share their stories of the first time they saw someone that is the subject of one of our murals from our inspiration series. We get follow up from clients who tell us how some of our projects have improved business and positively shaped the attitude of the public toward their business. It’s always encouraging to know that you’ve helped others.
What should we all know about public art that maybe we don’t?
BOTH: It belongs to you! This is what separates this work from art you may see hanging in a gallery show. As soon as we are finished with our part, it belongs to the public.