On a wall in East Somerville, two massive hands knead dough as their arms unravel into long swirls of fettucine. This painting outside Deano’s Pasta is a bona fide celebration of handmade Italian food — complete with torcere, crest di gallo and other small noodles peppering the background.
Artist Michael Talbot, 27, takes immense pride in the piece, which he completed in September after getting funding from arts organizations and collaborating with the store’s owners. While sketching out the mural on a notepad, Talbot found it important to incorporate “key components of Deano’s Pasta,” specifically the fact that their noodles are handmade using recipes passed down from generation to generation.
“I knew I wanted to focus on their hands, but I also wanted to focus on the love they had for pasta and how it was part of their life,” said Talbot. “What came to my mind was, ‘You are what you love.’”
After getting approval for the proposal, Talbot worked with the owners to finalize the piece. He said brainstorming alongside the couple was essential in making the mural as authentic as possible. The little things — throwing an egg in the painting or tinting the flour yellow — convey the authentic feel the shop exudes.
“We thought it was perfect for who we are and what we do, being a fourth-generation pasta business,” said Hala Matarazzo, who owns and operates Deano's Pasta alongside her husband.
When creating pieces for clients, Talbot aims to meet their vision and tie in his own artistic flair and style. He explained how incorporating a part of himself and his story is essential.
“I wanted this mural to have the Michael flair, or [what] some people call the ‘Michael swirls,’ because I tend to add a lot of flowing, swirling lines in my drawings,” said Talbot.
That vision came to life, thanks to Somerville Arts Council, which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, along with East Somerville Main Streets, Deano's Pasta and individual donors.
The mural was Talbot's first crack at creating a wall-sized work of art. It was a learning experience to shift from smaller-scale artwork to, as he described it, “working on an electric lift 20 feet in the air swaying in the breeze as you’re using a paint roller in the hot sun to roll out this big old drawing.”
Talbot, who is originally from Jamaica, draws inspiration from how his life experiences make him feel, and uses those emotions in his work. Talbot strives to tell a story in each piece he pours his heart into.
“The way I approach art is that I pull from anything and everything that I see, and experience, memories, just things that happened to me throughout the day that really affected me,” said Talbot.
He added: “My main source of inspiration that I can pinpoint is my best friend from high school, Richard Nattoo.”
Talbot and Nattoo took most of the same art classes at Ardenne High School in Jamaica. Witnessing Nattoo’s constant improvement and drive in the art field gave Talbot the motivation to push harder and get better. “I call him my art rival, arch nemesis,” he said. “We’re always trying to push each other to the next level. He is my biggest motivator.”
When asked how he would like his work to be remembered he said, “You look at my art, you like it. But the fact that it makes you think, ask questions and make you feel like something more is behind the piece — [that] is what I want.”
Ryan Noel is a senior at Boston University majoring in journalism.
