But I’m in the pool

A hyper-realistic, trompe l'oeil mural by Gus Eagleton that creates the optical illusion of a bright blue swimming pool built directly into the side of an urban brick building and its commercial shutters.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Gus Eagleton is a prominent Australian contemporary artist and muralist. His work frequently features cinematic compositions, realistic figurative portraiture, and a deep exploration of light and environment, often transforming flat urban surfaces into deeply immersive, atmospheric scenes.

ABOUT THE PIECE:

• The Illusion: Eagleton painted a highly convincing water texture with rippling light reflections across the lower half of the wall and two blue roll-down shutters. The illusion is anchored by a white and grey checkered tile pool border painted along the top edge, seamlessly fading into the unpainted brickwork.

• The Figures: The scene features three highly realistic figures enjoying the water: a man wearing a cap and sunglasses floating casually on a bright pink inflatable lilo on the left, a young shirtless child wearing a blue, fruit-patterned inflatable swimming ring wading through the center, and another child wearing a yellow swim vest on the far left.

• Surface Integration: The artist cleverly incorporated the physical architecture of the building, painting directly over the deep ridges of the metal shutters and the rough brick texture while perfectly maintaining the warped, refractive appearance of bodies submerged in water.

HUNTER NOTE:

Original hunt and photograph by hunter Lulo.