STREET ART ON HIGH
24 Apr 2018
Franklin Bridge in Boston, USA, has endured a colourful transformation that sees the public thoroughfare reflect the life and culture of the wider downtown community, thanks to a team of young street artists lead by Jillian R. Wiedenmayer.
Trained architect and artist Jillian R. Wiedenmayer and a team of street artists have collaborated on the Chroma Line, Boston’s largest mural to date. They transformed an urban overpass into a vibrant, site-specific art space.
Working with local community organisation Allston Village Main Streets, Wiedenmayer set up a series of design charrettes in Boston’s Allston neighbourhood aimed at strengthening the residents’ sense of cultural identity and exploring their shared vision for the city. Public sessions were held at Jackson Mann Community Centre, Allston Civic Association and Brighton Allston Improvement Association, where community members shared their ideas and hopes for the neighbourhood.
Following the sessions, Wiedenmayer collaborated with a team of street artists, including Nick Sullivan, Golive, Rant and Nya Belleve, to translate the feedback into the Chroma Line, an urban intervention that expresses the community’s cohesive vision.
The final artwork uses colour and conversation to enliven Franklin Bridge, a 146-metre pedestrian overpass located between the north and south Allston neighbourhoods. Colourful graphic motifs were inscribed on the surface to create an intricate mural that would engage the public and revilatise the community.