Commissioned by The Joule Hotel as part of the MTV:REDEFINE fundraiser and auction, this newly completed piece of public art is also a temporary one. Impossible to photograph, the mural runs on the narrow length of the pedestrian walkway bridging Elm and Main, across the street from Neiman's front entrance. (It faces Campisi's.)
It's the handiwork of British artist Lee Baker, who was drawn to the project because of its point of flux. This crudely assembled plywood division that this mural is painted directly on will be disposed of when the nearby construction project reaches completion. That's perfect for Baker. It's the impermanence of modern mad-made cities -- especially ones bursting with as much architectural bravado as our own -- that interests him. Here he's created his own version of our iconic skyline, knowing that in the not too distant future, this plywood swath of an empire will fall.
Take a walk and explore it. Finding the thing feels like an urban scavenger hunt.
