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As a condition of probation for a minor offense, well-known Houston arrest DUAL fulfilled court-ordered community service hours by using his talents to create a work of art for the youth who utilize the Kountze Little League Park.
“His initial agreement was several hours of community service, but he was interested in providing a mural for the Kountze community if it were possible,” said Raul Martinez, studio manager for DUALstreets.com. “Luckily, the county and he came to an agreement, and was shown several locations to choose from. The Kountze Little League Park building caught his attention due to the people the mural would impact, which is the youth and supporters of the league.”
According to Martinez, DUAL’s involvement with the law in Hardin County transpired several years ago, leading to probation but no arrest. This year, DUAL was placed under three months of probation and was required to complete 40 hours of community service.
After completing a dozen hours of driving back and forth from Houston and working at local nonprofits while in Southeast Texas, DUAL came up with a better idea to pay his penance. According to Martinez, the only wish the prosecutor had was that this idea would have been presented sooner.
With approval from the Little League board, painting started in the morning hours of Sept. 16 with assistance from community members to prepare/prime the walls. Then the painting process was taken over by DUAL and another Houston artist, Soda, specializing in commercial and residential mural work. The mural was completed on Sept. 17 while several teams finished their evening practices.
Adding the Kountze project to the portfolio he’s been amassing since 2005, DUAL boasts work including largescale murals, paintings on canvas, tape collages, and sign paintings.
“His bold lines and fresh colors are a break from the everyday monotony of life in the city – a taste of urban subculture, whether you asked for it or not,” Martinez summed up of DUAL’s art, which is presented in a manner to encourage the audience to write their own narrative for who the artist is and the message he is trying to convey.
DUAL’s work has graced gallery walls in the Houston art scene including those of M Squared Gallery, Pablo Cardoza Fine Art, Colton & Farb Gallery and Station Museum of Contemporary Art; and the artist has had the opportunity to collaborate with a number of brands, labels and charities including the Lebron James Family Foundation, Pabst Brewing Co., Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Houston Outlaws, Dickies Workwear, Schmutz Watches, Street Serpents Apparel, and even Sprite. However, the artist is likely best known for his work with wheat paste, particularly since his feature in the 2011 wheat pasting documentary, “Stick ’Em Up!”