Austin, TX. High on the HOG. 2014
This is Todd Bot, aka "Deathfox." I didn't ask him how he came up with his street art name when we met at the HOG a few weeks ago. He did, however, tell me that he'd driven down from Dallas with his fellow artist and friend, Skele, whose arm reaches out and sprays the red wall in the photo. Deathfox stumbled onto this place a few years ago, but didn't actually start coming down to Austin and painting here until recently. His boy, Skele, sure is glad Deathfox stumbled onto the HOG. Both of them had their art appear on last week's Austin Chronicle cover that featured my byline. They told me there are a few paintable walls in Dallas—"But nothing like this," Deathfox said, like a Little Leaguer visiting Fenway for the 1st time. After seeing all the time and love and patience that goes into making many of these murals, I was finding it hard to believe that artists weren't just livid after seeing their masterpieces get painted over. But Deathfox, whose art you can check out on Instagram (@Deathfox), finally put it into perspective for me. "Everything is temporary," he pointed out as we looked down at the city below and beyond us. "Why should this art be any different? Sometimes, watching your art get destroyed right after you make it can be tough. But for me, at the end of the day it's really a lesson in detachment."