Local artist Stan Mans spent about 40 hours painting this mural themed around the hierarchy of waste for the Henderson Road refuse transfer station. Photo / Warren Buckland
Local artist Stan Mans spent about 40 hours painting this mural themed around the hierarchy of waste for the Henderson Road refuse transfer station. Photo / Warren Buckland
A new mural by a local artist reflecting on the "hierarchy of waste" now graces Hastings' transfer station.
Hastings District Council won a mural sponsored by Resene as the prize for winning New Zealand's Most Beautiful City and the Supreme Award at the 2020 Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards.
Hawke'sBay artist Stan Mans won the right to paint the Henderson Rd Transfer Station mural in September through a council competition, and his work was unveiled last week.
"When an opportunity like that comes around, to put your artwork on a public wall, it's always worth submitting a design," he said.
He said he knew the hierarchy of waste was typically depicted in a triangle, but he wanted something that would work on a long wall and to incorporate a young member of the community, which ended up being modelled from his son Ezra.
"It's starts with the words 'hierarchy of waste', and then you've got this little kid there on his bicycle pointing at an idea which is represented by the light bulb. That's the first panel which basically says it's a mindset, you've got to think about it. Before you do any of those things you've got to start with the thinking bit and realise what is the process and what do you need to do before you get to the end result."
Work on the mural took a total of 40 hours, which Mans balanced with a fulltime job and his family.
"You have to find that family mix with what you are doing, with art and work. There is a good balance."
Stan Mans expects his next mural for Keep New Zealand Beautiful to be finished at the AMP Showgrounds before Christmas. He said the two young women represent the earth and the ocean. Photo / Supplied
He has done murals before around Hastings for the council and Keep New Zealand Beautiful, including a few at Cornwall Park behind the aviary and on a pump house, and he expects to have a new mural finished at the A&P Showgrounds before Christmas.
He has been into art since he was young but became more serious about it since moving to New Zealand 10 years ago where, he said, there was a lot of support and opportunities for artists looking to grow.
"That made me go that next step, you always want to be challenged as an artist and that's what challenged me to really get into the mural art.
"At the Henderson transfer station, people would come over and have a big chat to me, because they'd say 'this is so cool, this is amazing, we love the colours' and they just talk about it and give you support and encouragement, which I think is pretty cool."
Stan Mans said that as well as murals, he has also done oil paintings sold in galleries, digital design and also some street art. Photo / Warren Buckland
Sam Gibbons, Hastings District Council senior waste minimisation officer, said the design did the best job bringing the theme to life.
"Stan's concept was chosen because it did a wonderful job of bringing the waste hierarchy to life and it looks even better in reality," Gibbons said.
Gibbons said the location of the wall was chosen because it is visible to those dropping off their waste to go to landfill.
"It will hopefully get people to stop and think about maybe recycling or repairing what they are dropping off rather than throwing it in the pit."
