Some people are artists. Rip Read is a startist.
The California-based Read, an affable man whose passion for his profession is clear, is a muralist who specializes in painting the night sky. His StarMurals, as he aptly calls them, grace everything from luxury hotels and spas to homes and yachts around the world.
But these aren’t ordinary murals; take a look at the stateroom photos here, and you’ll note that the nightscape is invisible by day (top). By night (below), it’s a whole other situation, giving the sensation of sleeping under the real thing.
Read has painted everything from constellations to galaxies. “I’m a deep and disciplined student of astronomy,” he says, spending about half an hour each day reading up on the latest information from scientists and reports received from the Hubble telescope and other equipment. This way, he ensures that his work is an accurate replica, or what he terms “astro-realistic,” right down to nebulae and comets and shooting stars.
That’s right, shooting stars–having researched and experimented with more than 100 brands of phosphorescent materials over several years, Read has a proprietary formula that actually allows his StarMurals to embrace movement. “My picture is subtly changing constantly as you sit there,” he explains. He says he’s the only artist in the world who can offer murals encompassing movement; some artists use paint that absorbs light and then emits a soft glow, but no change occurs within the art itself. Read, on the other hand, says he can create a mural in which a cloudy gathering of dust particles and gases, for example, gradually dims, goes dark, and then rebrightens, just like in real space.
He also says his murals can glow for more than a full day even if absorbing just 15 to 20 minutes of light–and that light can come from sun streaming through a window or a fluorescent bulb. Other artists’ light-activated murals last far shorter durations.
While he relishes referral business from other muralists and clients he’s worked with in the past, Read would like to do more megayacht murals. Why? Why not is a better question. Considering several superyachts feature pindot lighting intended to replicate starry skies, it’s no stretch to assume an owner would want something that ups the ante. Besides, as Read says, “My work’s not electrically driven, so nothing can go wrong.” Also consider the increasing popularity of spa-like areas aboard yachts, all of which are designed with soothing surroundings. Imagine diming the lights and enjoying a starscape while aching muscles are also soothed.
For more details, contact Read.
Leave a Reply