Exclusive: Co-artist behind controversial mural speaks out - Western Massachusetts News

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -some family members of fallen Springfield police officers expressed concerns about a mural on Worthington Street. it features a “T” that depicts a police flag with blood dripping down. The artist behind the letter spoke out exclusively with Western Mass News.

“The blood’s not washed off y’alls hands,” said “Muda!”

Artist “Muda!” spoke with Western Mass News under a mask, after concerns were raised over a letter he painted on a wall in Springfield.

16 artists worked on this “Black Lives Matter” mural on Worthington Street, each painting a letter. The letter “T,” was painted by “Muda!” depicts a thin blue line flag, known to represent police, painted with skulls and blood dripping down the sides.

“At that point in time, there’d just been countless stories and reports of unarmed black civilians gunned down in the streets and the blood signifies all the violence and stuff that’s been put upon the black people at that time by law enforcement,” “Muda!” said.

Survivors of fallen Springfield Police officers came to Western Mass News and said they were upset by the painting, especially since the thin blue line is meant to symbolize police protecting civilians from bad things.

“Muda!” told Western Mass News that he wasn’t aware of this original meaning, but that the meaning of the flag had changed.

“Around the time where BLM, Black Lives Matter, became prominent, that also became prominent, and on the internet, you know, both of those things, they both have the same acronym, so like say on a day where one of ours die and we go to post, we put BLM. Our stuff gets flooded out by “blue lives matter” because it uses the same letters...I used the flag as a statement of the violence being overshadowed by, you know, that,” “Muda!” said.

Family members are asking for the bloodstains to be painted over, but “Muda!” believes that would go against his freedom of expression.

“To take the blood away would just be added to America’s history of just covering stuff up,” “Muda!” said.

And he said he stands by his artwork.

“I feel like I got my point across, and I feel like I didn’t do it to really offend anybody,” “Muda!” said.

Wednesday, the committee who worked on the mural told us there were no plans to change the mural but they will be putting up a plaque next to it, providing context. We reached out to Mayor Sarno to see if he had any input on the mural, but we have not yet heard back.

Copyright 2022. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.

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