Guido van Helten is an Australian-born visual artist and photographer, born in 1986, whose internationally recognized contemporary street art is shaped by his exploration of community and identity through photography and large-scale mural installations. Born in Canberra and raised in inner-city Melbourne, he was influenced at a young age by traditional graffiti movements and introduced early to aerosol art. After graduating with a Bachelor of Visual Arts in printmaking from Southern Cross University, he developed contemporary work closely aligned with the global movement of large-scale muralism. His work grew from interests in travel, photography, architecture, and learning about cultures in connection with their landscapes. He gained attention for work in regional Australian communities and was nominated for the Sir John Sulman Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2016 for his work in Brim, Victoria. These interests and his ability to undertake large-scale projects led to commissions across Europe, Scandinavia, the United States, and Australia. Since 2013, his practice has focused on exploring identity in connection with the urban environment through photography, community engagement, and images designed to align with architectural sites. For the Faulkton Elevator Mural, he first visited Faulkton in November 2016 at the invitation of a fellow Australian living there to examine a possible project, then returned in 2017 to live in the community for a month while taking photographs and joining community activities. When he came back in July 2018, he prepared the elevator with help from many townspeople, began painting in late July, and completed the mural on September 1, 2018. The work depicts a boy and girl throwing or catching hats, widely understood as representing both the youthfulness of the Faulkton community and the many roles townspeople must take on to sustain a small community.