10 A.M. ON "LIVE IN THE D."
THAT’S TALENT.
>> Jason: WOW!
THE MURALS IN DETROIT ARE ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERLOOK.
THE GIANT PAINTINGS PROMINENTLY
GRACE THE WALLS ALL OVER THE
CITY.
>> Tati: THEY CREATE CONNECTION
AND PAY HOMAGE TO THE PAST,
PRESENT, AND FUTURE.
AND WE’LL LOOK AT THE VISIONS HE
BROUGHT TO LIFE AROUND DETROIT.
♪
>> MY NAME IS ANTHONY LEE, I’M A
LOCAL DETROIT MURALIST AND
ILLUSTRATOR.
LIKE THE WORK PRETTY MUCH
ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, BUT
I LIKE WORKING IN DETROIT
BECAUSE IT’S AN OPTIMISTIC
PLAYGROUND.
I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN
ARTIST AND I’VE ALWAYS SEEN A
PATH IN ART.
YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN WORLD
AND GET LOST IN IT AND WATCH AS
IT GROWS.
I LIKE THAT WITH ART YOU CAN
KEEP REINVENTING YOURSELF.
WHEN YOU SEE IT HAS INTENTION
PUT INTO IT, IT FEELS CARED FOR,
AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE CARED
FOR AND MAKES YOU WANT TO CARE
FOR IT, TOO.
I WAS CONTACTED BY A NONPROFIT
CALLED HOOPS THAT MATTER.
IN THE BEGINNING, THIS COURT WAS
COMPLETELY LIKE -- IT WAS MESSED
UP!
THEY GOT ALL THE GROUND DONE AND
THEY PUT A HOOP THERE.
THEY WANTED A MURAL THAT WAS NOT
ONLY FOR KIDS BUT KIDS FELT
WELCOME.
AND IF THEY SAW THEMSELVES HERE
IN AN ABSTRACT WAY, IT WOULD BE
VERY INVITING.
THIS IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE
TAKE U-TURNS, AND THEY DO A
DOUBLE TAKE.
FIRST THEY WERE GONNA PUT THE
BAD BOYS UP THERE BUT DECIDED TO
PUT ROBO-COP AND I WAS PRETTY
HAPPY ABOUT IT.
OF ALL THE SUPER HEROES AND
CHARACTERS, IT’S ICONIC FOR
DETROIT.
AFTER THAT, THEY WANTED TO ADD
MORE DETROIT COP STUFF.
BEVERLY HILLS COP, AXL FOLEY.
AND THEN MAGNUM P. I.
AND THEN TIM THE TOOL MAN.
BUT HE’S NOT A COP.
IT’S A DETROIT PRIDE THING.
SO GIVE PEOPLE SOMETHING TO BE
PROUD OF.
♪
THIS FAMILY BUSINESS WAS
ORIGINALLY LOOKING TO REINVENT
THEIR LOOK, BUT IN A WAY, WE
USED IT TO PAY HOMAGE TO THE
PEOPLE IN BLUE AND OUR
FIREFIGHTERS AND SERVICE PEOPLE
AND LOCAL HEROES.
SO MURALS CAN BE USED AND IN A
WAY TO NOT ONLY REINVENT BUT
ALSO TO JUST SHOW SOME LOVE.
♪ IT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO HAVE
IT MEANS A LOT TO ME TO HAVE
SOME WORK IN AN HISTORIC AREA
LIKE EASTERN MARKET. I DID A TRIBUTE TO DIEGO RIVERA.
I DID A TRIBUTE TO DIEGO RIVERA.
IT’S IN THE DIA, AND A SALUTE
TOWARDS THE EVERYDAY WORKER, BUT
I WANTED TO PUT A CHINESE OR ASIAN SPIN ON IT BECAUSE YOU
ASIAN SPIN ON IT BECAUSE YOU
DON’T SEE A LOT OF ASIAN
REPRESENTATION IN DETROIT.
MY MOM, I ASKED HER TO HELP ME TRANSLATE SOMETHING IN CHINESE
TRANSLATE SOMETHING IN CHINESE
AND GROWING UP, THEY WERE ALWAYS
SCARED FOR ME BECAUSE I WANTED
TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ART.
NOW THAT I’M MORE ESTABLISHED,
IT’S COOL THAT I ASKED HER TO
HELP TRANSLATE SOMETHING IN
CHINESE AND SHE HELPED ME
TRANSLATE IT, SO WE HAD A CHANCE
TO COLLABORATE. THE CHARACTERS SAY THIS DRAGON’S
THE CHARACTERS SAY THIS DRAGON’S
NAME IS DETROIT, IT WILL RISE
AND TOGETHER WE’LL MAKE IT
POSSIBLE.
>> Tati: I LOVE THAT MURAL! I’M A HUGE FAN OF MURALS ANYWAY
I’M A HUGE FAN OF MURALS ANYWAY
AND I LOVE JUST STOPPING AND
TAKING PICTURES, LEARNING MORE
ABOUT THEM, SO THAT WAS SUCH A
GOOD TIME TO PUT TOGETHER WITH MICHELLE OLIVER.
MICHELLE OLIVER.
>> Jason: THAT SHOULD BE A PROGRESSIVE ALBUM COVER.
PROGRESSIVE ALBUM COVER.
LIKE ASIA OR THE ALAN PARSON’S