My Window Artist collaborator Anna and I designed and drew up a design for a national open call for artwork to go on a large wall in my home town of Birmingham. We were lucky enough to win the commission which spanned 600ft by 12ft.
The design brief was simply ‘Green in the City’ so we wanted to incorporate natural elements. The location was the most interesting aspect. It’s on a corner of a road that funnels commuter traffic into the centre, by bus, car and foot, whilst being next to a train station and a stones through from a tram line. Also being on a hill, we wanted an idea of procession and movement as well as travel, nature and the surroundings.
A big fan of the mid century sculptor William Mitchell (whom has many pieces around Birmingham), we opted to work in his geometric style, but in 2D. Taking architectural and landmarks, we simplified and abstracted leaving it as a bit of a puzzle for the viewers to work out - the fact that it is on a commuter path meant that we wanted the piece to be engaging on multiple viewings, not just a pretty image that would eventually fade into familiarity.
Using a monochrome palette with a few sections of moss green and bright orange attracts the viewers whilst keeping it neat and clean. All hand painted over six weeks, the work will remain in place until 2026.