A new and innovative mural has been installed on Blossom & Carter St, Chelsea, MA 02150. Local artist, Franz Israel, designed and painted a mural of 50 feet long x 15 high: 8 large animal characters from the series “Animalia” are featured on black background with a scattering of white geometric figures. This arrangement creates a spaceship-like effect. Each character has a unique QR code that takes you to a unique custom morph animated video accompanied by a relaxing audio experience and some advocating for animals like Brutus (bullfighting awareness) or Sylvester (beast hunting advocacy).
The mural features motion sensor lights for evening interactivity, and each piece is printed in reflective aluminum and fluorescent glow in the dark paint, creating a mesmerizing effect at night.
“I always wanted to bring the experience of an indoor art gallery to public spaces filled with interactivity and light effects, something that can be appreciated in daylight and after sunset alike, and technology allows this now in a cost-efficient way. This is my first attempt to create such a New England weather-resistant and durable outdoor gallery, and I hope people will enjoy it for many years to come. I don’t have a formal education in the arts; my creative work is an intuitive and self-taught process. In my life, I’ve noticed that the most important decisions I make are based on intuition, and this piece of work reflects this instinct. I use mosaics in most of my work because I feel they are a juncture for drawing, painting, and sculpture. When you see the details of my work, you will see this series somehow represents a part of myself. The conceptualization of each series, selection of each character, and research to create the right composition of design elements is often the hardest part of the process. Everything after that is an assembly of a digitally rendered piece of art to be printed on different media; using Adobe Illustrator software, the total time for the development of each piece from start to finish can take 35 to 45 hours of work depending on the complexity of the piece. To create most of my . gifs, I use a photo morphing software to challenge, in some cases, disturb the visual impression of order.”
“The Chelsea Cultural Council is so pleased to see the finished work of Franz Israel, said Marlene Jennings Council Chair. Mr. Israel brings a unique mural experience that includes both a visual and sensory component that also touches on animal advocacy.”
The Carter Street Mural project was made possible through a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and funding from The City of Chelsea.
Learn more about Franz Israel and his process on www.Franzisrael.com, call 617.216.2737 or email [email protected] for further information.