SMUG Silo Art Mural in Murtoa

SMUG’s giant Silo Art mural in the Australian town of Murtoa features a collection of birds. All inspired by a local taxidermy collection found in the local Museum. It’s a mural that dominates the skyline from various aspects of the town.

SMUG

A hugely popular artist in Australia, SMUG is well known for his giant murals. Silo Art having proved to be a massive hit in the country. It’s been seen as a key means of bringing attention and tourism to small country towns. Silo Art trails are popping up all over the place.

Silo Art Trail

Originally from New South Wales, SMUG, whose real name is Sam Bates, now actually lives in Glasgow. His adopted home town also boasting an impressive number of SMUG murals. In Australia other giant Silo Art works can be seen nearby Horsham, Nulawil and Arkona. All forming part of the Wimmera Mallee Silo Art Trail.

Murtoa

For Murtoa, a town already known for it’s famous ‘Stick Shed‘, SMUG moved away from portraiture and towards the natural. First using the James Hill taxidermy collection from the nearby Water Tower Museum as an inspiration. He then overlaid this by thinking about the work of Murtoa born psychiatrist James Cade. His work significantly contributed to our modern understanding of what we now know as Bipolar Disorder.

30 Birds

In total he has painted 30 birds along the length of the Silo. All painted in various stages of flight or forage they include birds such as the Robin, Pipit and Thornbill. SMUG says that his favourite in the piece is his his painting of a White Plumed Honeyeater. Nestled within them all, one of the birds is coloured white and set within a blueish hue. It is this bird that is representative of the one in thirty Australians who suffer from mental illness.

The Silo Art Mural by SMUG was completed in April 2023 and visited in January 2024. It can be found on Soldiers Avenue in Murtoa, Victoria.

For more Inspiring City articles you might like, take a look at…

• The Street Art and Murals of Glasgow
• Giant Mural on Wellington Dam from Guido Van Helten
• Silo Art of the Wimmera Mallee
• North East Victoria Silo Art Trail