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Editor’s note: The previous version of this article identified one of the portraits as being of Emily Morales. The artists said a different model for the figure was used.
As a small group of local dignitaries and residents gathered at the corner of Washington and 7th Streets on Dec. 1 in San Juan Bautista, artists Ryan Sarfati and Eric Skotnes, also known as Yanoe x Zoueh, along with assistant Angelica Navarro, were putting the finishing touches to the new mural, “The Fabric of Life,” on the nearby underpass just prior to its official dedication.
Skotnes said that he and Safati began as graffiti artists and that, in a way, painting the underpass brought them full circle back to their roots.
“There were no arts programs in schools,” he said, “so Ryan and I learned how to do artwork under bridges just like this in LA. To have Caltrans give us the leeway to create a project like this is really humbling.”
The artwork, depicting cultural, environmental and historical motifs drawn from San Juan’s history, is a byproduct of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California Initiative, a $1.2 billion project led by Caltrans, which has so far removed 1.3 million cubic yards of trash from the areas around California’s freeways, renovated public spaces and created new public art projects.
Jennifer Laine, executive director of the San Benito County Arts Council, told BenitoLink that the project had been in the works for about two years, dating from when Caltrans District 5 Senior Landscape Designer Corby Kilmer told her money for the artwork was included in the grant for the overpass renovation.
“We got applications from artists all throughout the state,” she said. “They were reviewed by a committee of San Juan artists and representative community members who narrowed it down to three finalists who were invited to present their concepts in a virtual interview.”
The artists, who are known for large-scale public art projects such as 15,000 square foot “The Majestic” in Tulsa, Oklahoma, toured the town with Mayor Leslie Jordan and spent time with community members before submitting their design.
“We connected to everyone we could and visited El Teatro to get a feel for the town,” Sarfati said. “We wanted to know what they thought represented San Juan, then compiled it and sat down with it. And this is kind of where we landed.”
The mural on the west side of the underpass is a tribute to the city’s El Teatro Campesino, including Teatro veteran Alejandro Gomez, who performs under the name Flaco el Jandro, holding a guitar and in three-quarter profile.
“We felt the theater had a kind of creative energy and draw to it,” Skotnes said. “When we were there, looking through photos, one of Alejandro stood out. The profile and the lighting were just perfect, creating a mood of being right in the middle of a play.”
The east side represents the local ranching history, according to Sarfati, with images depicting the owners of San Juan’s Morris Grassfed Beef and provided by the Morris family. On the south end of the underpass, the artists fabricated 3D elements representing a flowing scarf.
“It was an idea I’ve had previously,” he said. We wanted to take a 2D mural and really push what it can do and kind of give it some more depth. It was a chance to think outside the box and the budget allowed us to do it.”
Laine described the work as “a little gem; we’ll have it for years to come” and said she was appreciative of the talent that went into its creation.
“This beautiful artwork really belongs in a museum,” she said, “and it’s here outdoors and accessible to anyone.”
Kilmer described Sarfati and Skotnes as “world-class artists” and said she could not be more thrilled with the completed project.
“I can picture what this looked like before,” she said. “It was a very gray kind of drab uninviting portal. And now it has been transformed and is so beautiful to walk through. You can feel the color and the vibrancy of it, turning this sort of nothing spot into something really special for the community.”
In her remarks to those gathered, Jordan said she had not known what to expect from the project but found the completed work to be a great addition to the city.
“I have been to several of the other murals in this project,” she said, “and I have to say ours is the coolest. To be able to watch Ryan, Angie and Eric working underneath the overpass has been simply amazing. ”
The overall cost of the underpass clean-up and landscaping was $900,000, with $160,000 delegated to the artwork. Laine said that another project with a similar budget, scheduled for completion in the early part of 2024, is being undertaken in Hollister along Highway 25 between Santa Ana and Sunnyslope Roads.
“The artwork consists of five utility boxes that are all done at this point,” Laine said. “We’re also working with another artist, James Peterson, on a large-scale woven basket that will be illuminated at night. There’s been a couple small delays but it will be installed early in the new year.”
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