Brian Barneclo Mural Unveiling

Brian Barneclo (b. 1972 – Indianapolis, IN) is a San Francisco-based artist recognized for large-scale murals that take on a uniquely stylized figure/ground-oriented vernacular. He describes his style as a sort of Cubist-sign-painter-folk-modern kind of thing.

He arrived in San Francisco in 1996 due to Mission School’s peaking influence. He remembers the scene being fairly active, with “tons of group shows, and lots of characters oozing with ambition.” During this time, Barneclo participated in many group shows (Shooting Gallery, 111 Minna, Future Primitive) while working a side job painting murals and signage for primarily restaurants. In 2004, he was awarded a commission by the SF Bay Guardian for the first of what would become a career painting murals.

Perhaps his greatest achievement to date is the Systems Mural Project. In 2008, he spotted a 600-foot wall (40’ high), perfectly suited for a mural, sitting right along Caltrain tracks near the San Francisco station. “Somebody should paint that,” he thought. “I should paint that!”. Flash forward to 2011, and the mural was complete, but only after collecting permissions, aligning with fiscal sponsor Intersection of the Arts, raising corporate funding, becoming a Caltrains certified rail worker, receiving a proclamation from Mayor Gavin Newsom, and appearing in a Super Bowl ad for Levi’s/Dockers. The title refers to the project’s inspiration to align with understanding whole systems as the highest path to a healthy society.

Photo by Scott Beale

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