I painted it in the heat of the moment
Once upon a time, this was my secret shame: I painted a big Asia mural on the wall outside my college dorm room in 1985. (Hume Hall at the University of Florida, in case anyone really wants details.)
The mural remained there for about 10 years, until the entire building was torn down. (For the record, I also painted stars in neon paint on the dorm room ceiling, so when you turned on a black light -- which was required equipment for every college kid back then -- and killed the lights, you'd see a virtual galaxy above you. (High-brow entertainment, especially if you added a Pink Floyd album and other enhancers to the equation.)
For years, I'd return to campus in the fall for football games and visit the dorm to see the painting. Sometimes I'd knock on my old room door and ask if they see anything at night when then turn off the lights. "You're the 'star' guy, aren't you?" they'd exclaim. "Did you do this freakin' Asia painting, too?" I always flat-out denied it.
UF has since rebuilt Hume Hall. And don't think I'm not tempted to return there late one night, paintbrush in hand. Pride in the 80s -- it's a horribly addictive vice.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
E-mail Steve Spears:
Ah, you've evoked some great memories of dorm life at UF in the '80s, Mr. Spears. While I don't believe I ever saw your particular set of black light stars, I did have occasion to experience them in other venues. With Pink Floyd playing. And other enhancers afoot.
I'm a bit distressed about Hume being torn down. Is nothing sacred anymore? Pffft.
Posted by: jane | February 16, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Steve you are the man! I didn't think there was a bigger fan than me but I bow to you sir. You are quite the artiste.
Posted by: Tom | February 16, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Hmm. Some college. We didn't have dorms, we had barracks. And no one could help you if you were caught painting album logos on the walls ... Maybe I shouldn't have gone to a military college.
Posted by: chase | February 16, 2008 at 11:42 AM
You never told me, Chase. Was there really "The Ten" at the Citadel?
Posted by: Spears | February 16, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Hey Chase - what year did you graduate the Citadel? My husband is c/o 1985 (November Company).
And Steve - I am most impressed by your artwork!! How long did it take to paint? I am a member of the Gator Nation (c/o 1994) (did time at Drew University too in Clearwater). Never got to experience dorm life though.
Posted by: Debra | February 16, 2008 at 11:58 AM
I think it took me a full weekend. My roommate helped out. (He lobbied unsuccessfully for a Rush mural instead.)
I think later on, we filled in more details so that it eventually looked more like the Alpha album.
Posted by: Spears | February 16, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I wish i could find the pix I took way back when, but I painted a huge Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense mural on the wall at my school, too! Probably around 1986, since it was after true Stories came out, and I hadn't moved off campus yet. I will poke around in my photo albums to see if I can find it, but it will be like finding a needle in a haystack
Last time I checked about 10 years ago, it was still there.
6th floor Richmond Tower in the Ellicott complex at the University of Buffalo.
One cool thing I liked about the dorms, was that it was a twisted maze of walkways and tunnels so you could get from point A to point B without going outside in the winter.
Posted by: Douglas Arthur | February 16, 2008 at 08:12 PM
Steve-O you are far more talented than I. I could never get the dot on the I correct. I could do the Eyes and Pyramid ok, but not the dot or the Dragon...
Posted by: Hamptune | February 17, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Steve, "the Ten?" c'mon, that was just a movie ... never mind "the Junior Sword Drill" ... uh, I didn't just say that, did I?
And Debra, c/o 88, Tango ... your hubby I'm sure wouldn't know me, but I'll be he remembers a friend of mine, Greg Outlaw ... interesting guy. If I'm not mistaken, "The Incident" happened during that year, I think I'm remembering that righ t... ask him about "The Incident"
Posted by: chase | February 17, 2008 at 06:05 PM
Sick. Just ... sick.
Posted by: Michelle | February 19, 2008 at 07:34 AM
Hey, what section were you in? I was in Yeaton, 3rd floor West. I graduated in 1983, so I missed your mural. We were the Renegades!
I'm still sick about it being torn down - I don't think I even want to go back to see the new building.
Posted by: John | April 11, 2008 at 04:23 PM
This painting looks awfully familiar. Where in Hume was it? I lived on first floor Hume West during the 1985-1986 and 1986-1987 academic year.
Posted by: Gus | November 06, 2008 at 09:53 AM