[Monsters in Detroit]

DMM-2022-00138

[Monsters in Detroit]

Jordan Vaughn [Tead]

Rick Malt [Malt]

Steve Ehret [Monster Steve]

Created: 2010s
Photographed: 2023-06-21

AAT:
mural paintings (visual works)
street art
graffiti art

LCSH:
Mural painting and decoration, American--Michigan--Detroit--21st Century.
Graffiti--Michigan--Detroit--21st Century.
Monsters & marvels.

This mural on the side of a building in Detroit depicts strange monsters and creatures similar to Monster Steve's other murals, combined with bright colors in abstract patterns typical of both Tead's and Malt's work. The scene is set within a stark landscape of clouds, tree trunks in silhouette, rocky outcrops, a yellow full moon and impossibly complex transmission tower-like forms. At the far left a hunched humanoid figure is depicted wearing a green shirt with white long sleeves. It has green eyes, a bald head showing mottled purplish skin, a gaping mouth full of yellow teeth, and purple claw-like hands. It lurches toward the opposite side of the mural. Just below the figure and slightly to its right is an abstracted bird's head with its small gray beak pointing to the right. The head is shown in various shades of teal with solid black outlines between its curvilinear forms. It, too, has a green eye. Continuing on in front of the bird's head is what appears to be wing forms painted in shades of gray with black outlines. In the space above the "wing" and to the right of the bird's head is what appears to be a small wooden birdhouse. A flowing zigzag of colors (pink, yellow, peach, red, and purple) emerges from the front of the house. On the far right, another humanoid creature with yellow skin, red eyes, a long, pointy nose, and long, skinny limbs, sits and reclines in a plant-filled location. Wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt, jeans, a hood over its head and a backpack, it holds a smaller creature in its hands. The larger figure appears to be jeering at the small creature, with a broad slack-jawed smile on its face. Across from this pair another creature is depicted. This one resembles a crab with many eyes, and it appears to threatens the smaller creature with its claw, which it holds close to the smaller creature's face. The smaller creature looks distressed. In the lower right corner another abstracted bird head faces to the left, painted using shades of teal and gray with a green eye and black outlines. All 3 artist names are inscribed in the lower left corner of the mural in white lettering. Inscribed in the lower right corner (partially obscured in the images) is brownbagdetroit.com.

NOTE: The mural's original state has been altered by the reconstruction of the building's facade.

Still Image

Address: 4731 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208
Coordinates: 42.34741186487601, -83.08670533532482

Ehret, S. (n.d.). Murals. Steve Ehret. https://www.stevenehret.com/murals

Malt, R. (n.d.). Walls. Malt. https://www.rickmalt.art/walls.html

Buffenstein, A. (2017, May 4). Street artist dies after falling through roof while working on a piece. ArtNet News. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/tead-street-artist-detroit-dies-947426

spray paint on cinder block