Paxton Gate unveils new mural by renowned Austrian artist
Paxton Gate and Austrian muralist Nychos joined forces this month to give a new mural and look to the Mission District curios store, which has been selling plants, bones, fossils and other trinkets in the neighborhood since 1992.
Nychos, who once lived in the Mission and generally produces murals featuring human and animal biology, painted the skeleton of a large bird with its wings wide open above the store's entrance on Oct. 15. In the middle, there are two more skeletons: a human and a serpent lay horizontally around the bird's chest.
A second, much smaller illustration — the skeleton of a small rabbit — adorns the north side of the building.
Kris Struble, an instructor and the events lead at Paxton Gate, said the rabbit shares similarities with the logo of Nychos' business, Rapid Eye Movement , and that they decided to add it "as a good luck charm."
"For the business to have a little rabbit giving us a little extra luck," said Struble. The snake in the mural is there because next year is the year of the serpent, he said.
The newest mural aligns with the artist's strong interest in the biology of humans and animals, and with Paxton Gate's ethos in science and metaphysics — its store is chock full of skeletons, mounted insects, and taxidermied animals.
"We care very deeply about the true science of everything. And then the metaphysics, the things that we don't actually know for sure," said Struble. "That's also something that Nychos is very deep into. We see the world as both science and the things that you can't explain."
Struble said the collaboration started a year or two ago when Nychos contacted them to express his interest in the project. Once a neighbor and loyal customer, the collaboration came easily.
The mural's design was Nychos' with some feedback from the store. Nychos finished the piece in two days.
The complete cost of the mural was split between the store and the building owner.
"He [Nychos] wanted to be part of our business, so he gave us a bit of a discount," said Struble. "That definitely helped because he's very popular so he fetches a pretty penny."
The store's sign was also redone during this process by SoMa based New Bohemian signs .
"This is to show that we want to be here and we're going to continue to be here to support this neighborhood and San Francisco," said Struble. "We want to be in this neighborhood."
