Jerkface brings more smiles to Montclair with second mural
You can find his murals in cities around the world, but now Montclair boasts a second mural by celebrated anonymous New York-based street artist Jerkface. The new mural, a giant lush scene featuring Hobbes and completed Saturday, graces a wall by Greek Taverna and takes its inspiration from this painting by the artist.
Jerkface painted the mural on the Bloomfield Avenue-facing wall of 6 Gates Avenue, a building owned by David Genova.
Genova also owns the building at 131 Glenridge Avenue where Montclair’s first Jerkface mural is located. 6 Gates Avenue is still under construction but Genova says work is finishing up at the building which will house retail and offices come this summer.
These two Jerkface murals continue the efforts started by Montclair Center BID to bring more murals to Montclair.
Jerkface is known for creating optimistic work because “there’s already enough negativity in the world.” He had a second London exhibition at the Maddox Gallery, “Quiet as Kept,” in December 2022.
“My aim,” Jerkface said of that exhibition, “is to capture nostalgia both for myself and for those who grew up appreciating the same things as I did. … My source material may be unoriginal, but the originality – and the challenge – comes in how I adapt it.”
Genova’s relationship with Jerkface began when a mutual friend contacted Genova on Jerkface’s behalf. The artist was interested in doing a new wall and thought Montclair might be the next place. The result was the first mural – a huge collage of cartoon characters – at the Glenridge Avenue location.
Read: Street artist Jerkface vividly transforms Montclair wall
Along with Genova, kids who came every day to Glen Ridge Taekwon-do were able to watch Jerkface create the mural and even gave input.
“One kid asked Jerkface to include Calvin and Hobbes. When Hobbes was added at the end, that kid’s face lit up,” Genova said of that first Montclair mural.
That kid should head over to the parking lot of Greek Taverna where you can see Hobbes in all his glory as the star of the second mural.