A Pop of Color on Public Spaces

A Pop of Color on Public Spaces - More Images+ 2

If a painting can trigger its viewers' emotions with just one observation, imagine the impact of a building-sized mural on an entire city.

Baltimore-based artists Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn found a way to enhance people’s lives through art by adding visual playfulness to public spaces. Since 2012, they have been working on sculptures and large-scale murals, curving around building corners and spilling them onto the ground. The artistic duo explored themes of movement and symmetry by experimenting with bold color combinations, patterns in nature, and woven textiles.

Take a look at some of the lively murals created by Jessie and Katey that transform public spaces into colorful experiences.

Weaving Rainbow Mountain - Knoxville, Tennessee. Image © Jessie & Katey

This piece was created for the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. The design that we created for the staircase is based off of woven coverlets that were made during the craft revival movement. The movement took place throughout Knoxville, and most of Appalachia during the 1890’s through 1945.

 

Allumination - Boston, Massachusetts. Image © Jessie & Katey
Allumination - Boston, Massachusetts. Image © Jessie & Katey

This installation was created through Zone 3 in Boston, Massachusetts. We painted all four sides of the house, including the floor and roof. We added details to the design with recycled tin cans, plastic bags and bottle caps.

 

Everything that Keeps us Together - Manhattan, New York. Image © Jessie & Katey

 This mural was created for a busy lobby in downtown Manhattan. When designing the piece we were thinking about how to incorporate nature into the skyline. This piece is our take on an abstract mountain rage.

 

Magic Carpet Murals - Charlotte, North Carolina. Image © Jessie & Katey

In May 2016 we were invited to Charlotte, North Carolina to paint 3, 100 foot long rug murals along the newly renovated rail trail.  The community helped design and paint the murals. They are used as landmarks for bikers and pedestrians.

 

Folding the Prism - Spring Garden St, Philadelphia. Image © Jessie & Katey

This piece was created through the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. The mural is located on Spring Garden St and sits as one of the taller buildings in the area. The bright playful nature of this design transforms the surrounding skyline.

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Cite: Dima Stouhi. "A Pop of Color on Public Spaces" 29 Jun 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/919801/a-pop-of-color-on-public-spaces> ISSN 0719-8884

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