PAINTBOX

location | South End, Boston

date | Fall 2021

sponsor | City of Boston, Arts and Culture Dpmnt.

The “Paintbox” program allows local artists to paint utility boxes out on the street. There is an application process in order to get the permission and commission to participate. I got commissioned to create this small-scale urban intervention. I fulfilled my dream of exhibiting a public art piece and decorating the city with color. My initial idea drew inspiration from past pieces I created in Madrid and Mexico City. I was influenced by Pugin’s “Contrasts” in which he juxtaposes high church spires versus a vision of the future where tall factory chimneys create the visual identity of a city. I began by investigating the tallest buildings in Boston and arranged them by height, neighborhood, and time period. The idea was to create an eye-catching guide to reading the city’s skyline.