The Design

In designing the Mural for the Wing Lung Bank in Alhambra my goal was to create a dynamic image that would create a sense of movement and depth. Being faced with a curved surface of such scale I thought it necessary to have a series of shapes that lead the eye up from the street and across the expanse of the building. I initially started with a literal interpretation of a mountain landscape reminiscent of Chinese prints and paintings. Although I've always been drawn to this style of imagery, in this instance I felt the space would not be served well. Although the colors would be appealing, on a wall of this size the mural would not have enough movement and life.

After a metamorphosis of the design from a literal mountain scene to a more abstract interpretation, the solution became the use of a patterned texture used to integrate two completely different paintings allowing the wall to take on a unique quality of depth and movement. The addition of the Italian tile adds yet another way the wall will come to life when the sun catches the luster of these tiles.

When complete the mural will be 34.5 feet tall by 129.5 feet in length and be composed of approximately 996,000 3/4" glass tiles.

 

 

Neil Seth Levine - Mural Designer