By Alex Wilks, Now-Leader contributor
SURREY — While TransLink is upgrading the Surrey Central SkyTrain Station, two butterfly murals have been unveiled as an artistic distraction from the chaos of construction surrounding the area.
Thomas Nelles answered the artist call and was the winner chosen by the City of Surrey, in partnership with TransLink, to create the temporary mural for the area, all while bridging together the theme, “Connecting People, Connecting Places.”
“The butterfly was the one metaphor that needed to be done,” he explained. “It’s been around in art for centuries to symbolize transformation.”
Nelles, who grew up in Surrey and graduated from Sullivan Heights Secondary, has spent the past year — an estimated 250 hours — taking photos, drawing sketches, researching local archives and putting it all together on a Photoshop program.
“To me, when you hear the idea of, ‘Connecting People, Connecting Places,’ the first thing gets people talking about people on the SkyTrain, access, getting different places and the accessibility of what TransLink brings,” explained Nelles. “But to me it’s kind of getting more into the exchange of ideas. Besides just giving them access freely, let’s talk more about why people would want to come to Surrey.”
#surreybc artist Thomas Nelles's murals are now up at Central SkyTrain station: https://t.co/G2jY6x8dth #publicart #truesurrey @TransLink pic.twitter.com/HMXoGQjwLo
— Surrey Art Gallery (@SurreyArtGal) August 15, 2017
Nelles created a two-part artwork titled “Chrysalis” and “Butterfly Locomotion; Camouflaged” for the pedestrian walkway and along the chain-link fencing by the downtown Civic Plaza. Both pieces symbolize the city’s transformation from its agricultural past to its urban present.
READ MORE: Surrey Central SkyTrain station to get $25 million in upgrades, from March 2017
“There is this idea of a creature going from a caterpillar transforming into that chrysalis stage and becoming a butterfly at the end,” said Nelles. “That was what I connected to Surrey. You could say Surrey for many years was more of a rural community and now it’s really starting (to try) to be more metropolitan.”
“We have the third largest tower in Metro Vancouver beside us. It’s just this transformation. Sitting in the plaza you don’t know you’re in Surrey,” he added.
READ MORE: A first for teen artist with ‘Neo-identity’ exhibit, from 2014
“Butterfly Locomotion,” which was printed on mesh fabric and attached to the fencing surrounding the construction site, encourages viewers to see through it in order to see change in a positive way.
“I wanted the construction site to be as much a part of the piece as the piece itself,” Nelles explained.
READ MORE: Surrey gets serious about public art, from 2016
The murals are intended to enhance the experience of the station for both residents and transit riders. The bright colours provide a warm welcome to the city, he added.
“Colour with me is always big,” Nelles said. “I like big, bright colours. When I was doing this work, we did quite a few walks through the area. There is a lot of concrete and cement and gray, but the signage across the street is bright yellow and red. I kind of kept that in mind. I was looking to complement the area and the environment around it.”
Not only did Nelles want both his pieces to beautify the area, he also wanted transit users to stop, look and engage in his artwork and hopefully see something new each time.
“Public art, in general, is really good for culture,” he explained. “It’s meant for those moments where people take a break, escape and think a little bit more, especially with these pieces.”
“Maybe there is someone who takes the bus every day to this area and they can revisit that work and see something different each time.”
Nelles will be in the spotlight giving an artist talk on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at City Centre Library (10350 University Dr., Surrey), to discuss his background and his artistic projects. For event details, visit surrey.ca/culture-recreation/24267.aspx.