From The Leader News By Zarah Parker April 12, 2018
Murals grace neighborhoods
”...Another mini mural located at Beauchamp and Pecore features adorable cartoon animals, including a purple unicorn, eating ice cream. The artist, Tra’ Slaughter, created the piece in honor of Travis Elementary. He asked the children what they would like in the mural and the result is the cumulation of their ideas”...
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With all the information about Tre Slaughter, you would think that someplace there would be a name for this work,
The first panel is a dog and a cat standing side by side with one arm around the other. The cat is holding an ice cream cone. They both have ID tags, the cat’s says “IZZY ROXX” and the dog’s tag says “REXX ROXX”.
The first short panel is a triple scoop ice cream cone, Izzy, only has two scoops.
The back panel is a young tiger, wearing an ID tag which simply has the letter “T”. (The mascot for Travis Elementary School is a tiger.)
The second short panel, closest to the street, is a unicorn. He is standing on his hind legs holding a yellow flag with a purple paw print. (The colors for Travis Elementary are white and purple.)
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Mini Murals - Houston
Tra’ Slaughter
I am a self-taught artist, from the lovely south-east coast of Texas,
continuously learning and evolving my art as I go through life. Painting and
creating art for me are as necessary as water and air. It is something I must
do… and fortunately, art is my passion. It is a way to escape the day-to-day
grind, but it is also my way of taking life and making it beautiful… no matter
what the circumstance or situation, beauty resides in everything. Creating art
is my way of finding that beauty, and releasing it back into the world. I look
at painting as therapy and a means to express myself in a way and style that is
my own. I find inspiration for art in daily-life and activities. As an artist, I
see it as my duty and responsibility to show the everyday in a new way. I find
beauty in the regular… regular people, doing regular things. From a stranger
sitting at a bus-stop, to my daughter playing, to my pets lounging in a window
sill. It could be a bird sitting on a fence post, or even a face in the crowd on
the street. Beauty is everywhere. Finding it is all in how you look at it. There
is always something interesting and beautiful in the most simple of actions and
activities… and finding it and showing that to people through my eyes, well,
that is my mission. To show people the beauty in the everyday around them. To
show that regardless of what it is, there is beauty everywhere in everything.
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From VoyageHouston - May 2, 2018.
Meet Tra` Slaughter
Today we’d like to introduce you to Tra`Slaughter.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’ve been an “artist” since I was a kid. My parents still have work I created in high school hanging in their home. In high school, I used to get kicked out of art class quite often. I’d use that time in the hallway to make my own art and sold quite a few right there. I have had a couple people find me on Facebook over the years and show me some of those pieces they still have. I’ve been a professional artist for close to ten-years. I moved to Houston in 2000 to attend the Art Institute of Houston where I earned a degree in Graphic Design. I make all kinds of art… it’s just whatever is coming through at the time. Art is literally in my name (just backwards). So, I guess I’m in the right business.
Please tell us about your art.
I make all types of art – painting, drawing, assemblage, murals, commercial and any other way to make a mark or a statement. I make art in many different ways because I just can’t pigeon-hole myself to one thing. And, there are many different ideas coming through me that have to be expressed in certain ways using certain materials. I like for my art to be inclusive. Meaning that anyone can connect with it in some way. Be that the message, the visual or just the energy. I look for art that I can see the artist in, and I try to make art in the same manner.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I tend to stay in my little bubble in the world most of the time. I rarely watch the news or read the paper. I buy the paper more for ideas for work (assemblage) rather than to keep up with the world. The world is a strange place and only seems to be getting stranger by the day. I think the role of artists is and has always been to mark time and share different angles of seeing / understanding ideas and concepts. I think artists must strive to continue to grow within their work while continuing to express their ideas / message.