At the intersection of 40th St. & 6th Ave, resting in the shadow of Interstate-5 above, lays a bridge. Two large, concrete piers support the bustling Burke-Gilman Trail, approximately 10 feet wide and nearly 15 feet tall. But there is one major issue: all 600 sq. feet of the pier surface is blank. Even worse, it’s dirty and gray.
Brightly-colored murals set in typically bleak locations help to break up the occasional monotony of life, and add a touch of creativity to the landscape that can be seen by hundreds of commuters every day.
The concept is really quite simple. The piers of the bridge at 40th St. & 6th Ave have two flat sides each, giving me four large spaces to work on. In addition, the bridge features 6 concrete beams with narrower areas that would be ideal for adding accents after the bulk of the mural is completed.
Illustrations of Gasworks Park and the Montlake Cut will adorn the west and east piers respectively, giving drivers and pedestrians directional markers for the landmarks. The murals will be competed using my signature minimalistic style, very similar to a previous project, Retro Disney (view online portfolio), in which I distill objects and figures down to their basic geometry, then assign them a color palette based on the environment.
In this case, I chose a palette of 8 colors for each illustration. This is very important, because the colors are presented in legend format on the opposite pier, providing visual order and play-of- perspective. The mural and color legend changes depending on how an individual approaches the intersection.
If selected by the Awesome Foundation of Seattle, I will use the funds provided to hire talented designers and fine artist from both my social circle and the Interdisciplinary Visual Arts program at UW. I will also enlist the help of members of the Graphic Design Club. Supplies including large amounts of paint, primer, ladders, brushes of different styles, and masking equipment will be crucial as well.
