Nine Artists and the Cities They Were Commissioned to Beautify
Every city has those places that people choose to look away from. Even more common are the places that are so bland that they just blend into the rest of the mundane scenery surrounding a workweek. Luckily, there are artists out there passionate enough to turn the mundane into the unimaginable. These 10 artists give passersby something different to feast their eyes upon, and a brief relief to the monotony that often happens in cityscapes. These cities being spotlighted are rad enough to allow creativity to be born in public spaces. They either have a department within their own government that commissioned these projects, or affiliated groups that understand how important public art is for artists and the community as a whole.
Marlin Peterson – Seattle, WA
Most people travel to the infamous Space Needle in the hope of a clear sky and view of the Seattle Skyline, not a view of a giant daddy long-legs beneath you. Peterson describes himself as a scientific illustrator and muralist, which explains the detailed arachnids on top of the Seattle Center Armory. The Washington State Parks commissioned this awe-inspiring and somewhat unsettling mural. The 2D image is so accurately realistic, it feels like you just stepped inside a sci-fi movie of the week.
Bill FitzGibbons - Birmingham, AL
Bill FitzGibbons is a sculpture and multimedia artist from San Antonio, who has received an endless amount of awards, over 30 public art commissions in five different countries, and has held over 65 group exhibitions. In 2013, FitzGibbons revealed one of his most well known pieces, “Light Rails,” in Birmingham. “Light Rails” turned a 1931 Art Deco railroad underpass into a vibrantly lit destination. Before “Light Rails” illuminated the tunnel, it was deteriorated and dark, and thought of as a dangerous area to walk through. FtizGibbons believes that “public art has a direct influence on how citizens feel about those urban areas,” and by making this attraction, he has done just that.
Jessica Stockholder - Chicago, IL
With all of the chaotic and stressful events that can happen in a busy, four-way intersection in downtown Chicago, Jessica Stockholder brings some much-needed youthful, whimsical flair. Her piece “Color Jam” can’t help but make you smile in juxtaposition to the usual, monotone cement-filled environment. Stockholder is a sculptor and installation artist who tries to focus on blurring the boundaries and extending the limits. She was commissioned in 2012 by the Chicago Loop Alliance to spill color upon the building’s facades, sidewalks, and streets in the downtown loop.
Katharina Grosse – Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program commissioned artist Katharina Grosse to help change the commute of train riders into a colorful and psychedelic journey. Grosse, a German-born artist, has always played with scale and vibrant colors, and this installation was no different. Completed this past May, “psychylustro” includes seven bright installations along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor. Using her signature spray paint technique, Grosse covered everything from warehouse walls to large stretches of green space to create giant splashes of color. These installations will eventually return to their natural states once the environment fades the vibrancy of the paint naturally.
HENSE – Washington, DC
HENSE, aka Alex Brewer, made a name for himself as one of the best graffiti artists out there, and earned an “all-city status” by leaving tags in almost every neighborhood in the city of Atlanta. HENSE is known for his freeform painting and free-flowing shapes that are represented in this commissioned work. This abandoned church in Ward 6 is a part of an up-and-coming area, and was becoming an eyesore to its surroundings. However, HENSE stepped in and transformed a traditional church’s architecture into a freestanding mural that excites the eye and gives color to the skyline.
Sebastien "Mr. D" Boileau – Houston, TX
This past June, “Preservons la Creation” was revealed as the largest mural in Houston. Standing at over 8,000 square feet, French artist Sebastien "Mr. D" Boileau recreated a Michelangelo classic. This commissioned piece was made possible in partnership with Eyeful Art, UP Art Studio, Texan-French Alliance for the Arts, and the title sponsor, Midtown Houston. Boileau is fascinated with the Renaissance era and was heavily influenced by the American graffiti movement. On top of a beautiful mural to raise awareness for positive urban art, proceeds from this project and the events surrounding it will benefit a children’s hospital mural project.
Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock – San Antonio, TX
Joe O’Connell and Blessing Hancock are the dream team when it comes to public art installations. O’Connell founded Creative Machines to design interactive exhibits for museums, and Hancock holds a degree in sculpture and landscape architecture, which influences her public art. Public Art San Antonio and the Department for Culture and Creative Development made O’Connell and Hancock’s “Ballroom Luminoso” possible. The artists used recycled bike parts, as well as steel and custom LED fixtures to create what is most likely the most elegant freeway underpass to ever exist. The artists wanted to transform a space that was once forgotten, and draw references from the area’s strong past.
Magda Sayeg - New York, NY
In 2011, the North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition and the New York City Department of Transportation unveiled work done by a famous graffiti artist. However, unlike most graffiti bombers who are equipped with spray paint, Magda Sayeg is armed with yarn. Sayeg currently resides in Texas, but her art has swept the world, being credited as the mother of yarn bombing. Perhaps because of being a mother in real life, Sayeg’s style brings a delicate and warming touch into a harsh city atmosphere. Ironically, her piece’s name, “Plan Ahead,” was a year-long installation that covered 300 iron rods in soft, knit cozies.
Matthew Ritchie – Boston, MA
This 70-foot by 70-foot mural is located in the highly trafficked Dewey Square in Boston. Matthew Ritchie’s piece “Remanence: Salt and Light” covers what once was a somewhat controversial Os Gemeos mural. Ritchie is highly influenced by cosmology, which are theories and beliefs about how the world and universe exist. The term “remanence” refers to the trace of memory left in magnetic material, and is used in this piece to bring to mind Boston’s past. Moreover, “Salt and Light” is a sermon recited by the first governor of Boston, John Winthrop. This yearlong installation was made possible in part by the Boston Art Commission.
Every city has those places that people choose to look away from. Even more common are the places that are so bland that they just blend into the rest of the mundane scenery surrounding a workweek. Luckily, there are artists out there passionate enough to turn the mundane into the unimaginable. These 10 artists give passersby something different to feast their eyes upon, and a brief relief to the monotony that often happens in cityscapes. These cities being spotlighted are rad enough to allow creativity to be born in public spaces. They either have a department within their own government that commissioned these projects, or affiliated groups that understand how important public art is for artists and the community as a whole.