How Things Work Mural
The mural is a collage of elements from the science and engineering courses taught by the children’s educational non-profit Iridescent in this space.
The lower area depicts rotation about an axis – an arm, legs, a wind turbine blade, a large turbine, an airplane propeller,
a bicycle chain, a truss, a gear, and a saw blade – with a motor in the center.
The images around belong to other topics being taught.
The big idea was to suggest mechanical or formal relationships between things which might otherwise seem unrelated,
such as an arm and a turbine, or a bird and a stingray, to inspire curiosity and a desire to learn more.
Mural
Iridescent-ONR STEM Design Studio, Downtown LA, CA
DIMENSIONS
17′ tall x 20′ wide
For
Iridescent
The mural is a collage of elements from the science and engineering courses taught by the children’s educational non-profit Iridescent in this space.
The mural is designed for this particular space and the client’s desire to maintain a neutral and calm interior,
opening up and becoming more colorful as it moves toward the outside wall, keeping many elements just as thin lines.
The colored areas were painted in a semi-gloss so that they would stand out from the flat white background in a subtle way.
The lower area depicts rotation about an axis – an arm, legs, a wind turbine blade, a large turbine, an airplane propeller,
a bicycle chain, a truss, a gear, and a saw blade – with a motor in the center.
The images around belong to other topics being taught.
While most of the images and symbols are new, a few are ones Ioana already developed for other Iridescent projects,
such as the children’s paper airplanes, the copper atom, and the slogan. To this degree the mural helps to reinforce
Iridescent’s brand.
The big idea was to suggest mechanical or formal relationships between things which might otherwise seem unrelated,
such as an arm and a turbine, or a bird and a stingray, to inspire curiosity and a desire to learn more.
The mural is designed for this particular space and the client’s desire to maintain a neutral and calm interior,
opening up and becoming more colorful as it moves toward the outside wall, keeping many elements just as thin lines.
The colored areas were painted in a semi-gloss so that they would stand out from the flat white background in a subtle way.
When the organization was forced to move out of the space (condo conversion), the mural was tragically cut up in an effort to save parts of it.
While most of the images and symbols are new, a few are ones Ioana already developed for other Iridescent projects,
such as the children’s paper airplanes, the copper atom, and the slogan. To this degree the mural helps to reinforce
Iridescent’s brand.
When the organization was forced to move out of the space (condo conversion), the mural was tragically cut up in an effort to save parts of it.
Work/Credits
Design & Painting: Ioana Urma.
Photos: Benny Chan (flat elevation, photos #1, #4, #5, #9), Ioana Urma (the rest).
Mural Animation Video: Ioana Urma (illustration, based on finished mural), Cristiano Meira (animation).
