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A FRESH face has popped up in Nowra just days after New Zealand artist Owen Dippie finished working on a David Bowie tribute in Crown Street Mall.
The gaze of Arthur Boyd now watches over Stewart Place and is the third mural to be added to the local streetscape.
It took just two days for the celebrated artist to recreate the image, released by Bundanon Trust, on the back of Sturgiss Newsagency.
Before painting the characteristic features of the famous local artist, Mr Dippie said he was familiar with Boyd’s work, but not his legacy.
“I didn’t know about his contribution to the arts. It’s incredible. I wanted to paint his portrait because he left so much and has given young artists great opportunities,” he said.
“I love the seriousness in his face. It’s definitely him in thought.”
The monochrome mural captures Boyd as he was painting.
“It’s contemporary in the fact it’s done with spray paint, but it has that timeless, old-school black and white photo look.”
A blue, cloud-wisped sky sat behind the finished mural on Wednesday, but Mr Dippie said it would be “quite moving” to see the image on a stormy day, giving it a dramatic backdrop.
“Walls in-particular are my favourite [medium] because they’re right there and you can really get in touch with your surroundings,” he said.
“You can actually change people’s perception of a boring wall.
“It comes alive.”
Mr Dippie has been spray painting murals and creating murals for 10 years. He has left his mark in New Zealand, New York, L.A and Melbourne and hopes to break into Europe.
He said with each image he referenced the copy as closely as he could, but always left a little bit of himself behind.
Dippie’s mural will eventual be a part of the Faces of Shoalhaven artisans walk and is hoped to attract visitors to the CBD alongside Guido Van Helten’s and Matt Adnate's murals.
“You guys are setting the bar pretty high,” Mr Dippie said.
“That’s what I like about the three different portraits you have now. They’re totally different styles.”