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We came upon this mural in Hudson Yards. Created by the Bronx-based artist, Marsh Made Art, the goal of the art according to Marsh, “is to make people happy. I want to capture the feeling you get when you look at something and smile (inside and out). What better way to do that than through LOVE?”. Wishing everyone a happy Friday!
One of the largest murals in New York is painted on the wall of a public school in the West Village. The mural at City-As-School consists of three enormous compositions by well-known muralists Kobra, Cern, and Magda Love. “Soul Ancestors” is the name of the portion painted by artist Magda Love. Born in Argentina, the artist has lived in New York City for more than 15 years, and is dedicated to adorning the city with colorful, captivating work. With the goal of giving New Yorkers a moment of thoughtful pause in their hectic day, her work draws on her own experiences to portray themes of “vulnerability, strength, nostalgia, sorrow and joy.” The artist says that “Soul Ancestors” is a celebration of femininity, “a song to all women who are putting their souls in what they do.” The colorful artwork is a bright addition to the school building and the neighborhood.
Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra, better known simply as Kobra, has painted countless murals over the course of his career, many of which can be found in New York City. He has a distinct style, mixing black and white photorealism with geometric patterns in a rainbow of colors. He often layers color over the grayscale elements, creating figures that can seem simultaneously ghostly and very present. Once you know what to look for, you begin to see his work all over the city, especially in downtown Manhattan. The incredibly prolific artist often deals with social issues in his work, frequently commenting on immigration, race, war, and religion. He is a master of powerful, thought-provoking images that make any street corner more beautiful.
A mural by famed Clinton Hill artist Voodo Fé lights up a drab construction site on Fulton Avenue in Brooklyn. The twenty-foot wide mural shows an eagle in flight and is meant to “depict the diversity of the world, inspiring us to rise above all odds.” The mural was created as part of the City Canvas pilot program, a NYC Department of Cultural Affairs initiative that adds artwork to sidewalk sheds and construction fences in NYC. The artist, whose work can be purchased at The Spot on Myrtle Avenue, chose to depict an eagle since it’s “a great representation of how through all, the good, bad, and ugly – we continue to ‘SOAR.'” Which is exactly the type of energy we need to take into 2021.
Ecuadorian artist Raúl Ayala collaborated with young student artists on the latest mural featured at the historic Houston Bowery Mall in downtown Manhattan. The mural honors Groundswell, an organization that encourages youth, artists, and community organizations to use art for social change. The mural, featuring surrealistic touches, reflects on the difficult times we are living in amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests against police violence and systemic racism and the global COVID-19 pandemic. Ayala describes the mural as “opening a portal” and is meant to have viewers think about “how we exist in relationship to each other, how we hold and take care of our individual, social, and cultural essence.” He adds: “For me, building imagination and sharing knowledge alongside a younger generation of artists is a great manifestation of the fruits of this shift. With this mural, we are also bringing intergenerational participation into a future that honors our past while actively creating a different path of existence.”
The mural The Baayfalls on the High Line is a double portrait of a sister and brother that the artist, Jordan Casteel, painted while at an artist residency at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Casteel, known for her vibrant portraiture, painted Fallou, who designs and sells hats, and her brother, Baaye Demba Sow. The title is a references to Baye Fall, a sect of the Sufi brotherhood Mouride, which Fallou’s brother belongs to, and the hand gesture Fallou is making signifies Allah among members of Baye Fall. With her portraiture, Casteel “adds deeply nuanced expressions of human experience to the expanding collection of images we see every day.” Which is just what we need in these trying times.
The World Trade Center “Mural Project” had its origins because of a collaboration between gallery owner Doug Smitch of the World Trade Gallery and Dara McQuillan of Silversten Properties. That collaboration, “Graffiti in the Sky,” featured sixty well-known street artists painting 34,000 square feet on the 69th floor of 4 World Trade Center, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial. After the success of this project, Silverstein Properties partnered with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to feature some of the same artists who have created large-scale murals on steel sheds at the future site of 2 World Trade Center next to the Oculus. We greatly enjoyed the infusion of color and artistry at this site, and the artists—including Joohee Park, known as Stickymonger—do a wonderful job of bringing to the site a message for a hopeful future.
Every fall senior illustration students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) create temporary murals at Seventh Avenue and West 28th Street, just down the block from our office. This year over fifty students interpreted the theme, "The future of the human experience." In addition to the yearly theme, the individual murals were inspired by everything from robots and technology, science fiction horror, and the immigrant crisis, to kewpie babies and propaganda art. Visitors can download the Arilyn AR App (on iTunes and Google Play) on their smartphone to enjoy the animation and augmented reality features of the murals.
