Images courtesy of Vaughn Oden.
If you’ve ventured down to the Glenalta train station recently, you might’ve noticed that it’s taken on a bright new image. Professional artist Vaughn Oden has brought a vibrant splash of colour and creative flair to the signal hut at the station, honouring Australia’s wildlife and commemorating the Bel-Air hotel. For talented visionary Vaughn, this ain’t his first rodeo, as he’s also created breathtaking murals for the Ethelton and Woodlands Park train stations, and thrives on painting on a large scale.
“I really enjoy working on very big projects,” says Vaughn. “It’s a very physical form of art using your whole body to climb ladders, draw lines and fill in space, it honestly feels like you put so much energy and effort into the artwork, and I believe that when you enjoy the process it is reflected in the outcome.”
For South African-born Vaughn, highlighting the beauty of Australia’s wildlife is integral to his work.
“A lot of what inspires my work is the natural world,” says Vaughn. “Living here in South Australia we are quite fortunate to be blessed with a diverse and rich collection of flora and fauna and the more of these nature-inspired murals I do, the more I learn about the landscape and environment that makes up South Australia, and deepens my appreciation for the place I call home.”
Vaughn says he truly believes that mural art improves the environment of local communities, and very rarely does he receive negative feedback from the general public on the work that he completes in their space. “I think that is because people enjoy seeing colour, imagery and stories that they can relate to and understand, rather than a blank wall,” says Vaughn, who has also worked as a tattooist for the last decade.
There’s a significant difference between designing murals and creating body art, but for Vaughn, alternating between the two mediums creates an interesting contrast and strengthens his skills as an artist.
“Working on a Tattoo, you’re often working on an artwork the size of an A4 paper or thereabouts, and in terms of painting on a wall, you’re working on a much larger scale ranging from 3m – 20m long, and it’s this juxtaposition of mediums and scale that is something I thoroughly enjoy and contributes to the versatility and adaptability of my art practice,” says Vaughn, who explains that his experience as a tattooist has also influenced the way he approaches murals.
“For tattoos, I am often designing custom artworks that have personal or sentimental relevance to the client, and I try to take that experience and apply it to murals by taking the clients idea and translating it into a physical visual representation of what they had in their mind…Because at the end of the day, art is really just the physical form of ideas.”
Creating a large-scale mural also comes with its challenges, including the various textures of the surface, battling the elements, and gaining approval from building owners. The work is also entirely self-funded, and can take anywhere from 2 – 4 days, to five weeks to complete.
Vaughn’s newest project will commence early this year, as he prepares to paint three murals for Modbury Special School – scheduled for completion by the end of the school holidays – fuelling his excitement for the students’ reactions and his determination to execute a project that inspires artistic passion.
For more information or to contact Vaughn Oden, please get in touch via email or Instagram.
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @vinco.design
