Untitled (Urban Wall)
 | This article, Untitled (Urban Wall), has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
| Untitled (Urban Wall) | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Roland Hobart |
| Year | 1973 |
| Type | Mural |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
| 39°46′4.45″N 86°9′17.23″W / 39.7679028°N 86.1547861°W | |
| Owner | City of Indianapolis |
Untitled (Urban Wall) is an outdoor mural by Austrian artist Roland Hobart located at 32 North Delaware Street in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. The mural originally occupied two exterior walls of two four-story commercial buildings at this site. The mural was commissioned by the City of Indianapolis for the "Indianapolis Urban Walls Project" in 1973 [1]. Fabrication of the mural began in September of 1973 and finished by the end of the year [2].
Description
After it was completed, Marion Simon Garmel described Untitled (Urban Wall) as “a complex puzzle of rectangles, pie-shaped wedges, quarter arcs and S curves in bold but earthy colors” [3]. The title Untitled (Urban Wall) refers to the Indianapolis "Urban Wall Project", a region wide call to artists by the Indianapolis Department of Parks and Recreation to develop outdoor mural designs toward the beautification of downtown Indianapolis [4] [5] [2].
Hobart's graphic mural is composed of bold geometric shapes of bright colors; mostly reds, yellows, and oranges with pops of blue, black, and white intermixed [3] [1]. Curved rectangular forms morph together to create color-blocked waves that cross the wall. Each larger curved shape is made from smaller rectangles, triangles and trapezoids.
Historical information
Untitled (Urban Wall) is the product of a 1973 "Urban Walls Project" sponsored by the City of Indianapolis and the American Fletcher National Bank. The National Endowment for the Arts matched a $3,500 contribution from the American Fletcher National Bank, all together providing $7,000 to fund the installation of the winning mural [2][5]. Deputy Mayor Michael DeFabis named Hobart’s mural the winner over four other finalists[2][5]. Hobart received $700 for his winning design. His piece was the first of what was expected to be multiyear “Urban Walls Project" with many future instillations [4]. During the fabrication of Urban Wall, which was completed by Naegele Outdoor Advertising under Hobart's supervision[3], Indianapolis was home to multiple other exterior murals, but Untitled (Urban Wall) was the first to be sponsored by the city [3]. "The Urban Walls Project" utilized painting services of the cities unemployed and youth to complete the selected murals [1].
Ownership history
Untitled (Urban Wall) was installed at its current location in 1973 and has been there since. During time of instillation, Steven R. Skirvin and Thomas A. Moyahan owned the two buildings on which the mural was installed [5][3]. Skirvin owned the Indiana Parking Company garage and Moyahan the Union Title Building[3]. Both company owners agreed to fund the preparation of the area for mural painting and instillation and as well as any future maintenance [3].
Artist
Roland Hobart came to the United States from Austria in 1967, six years before the instillation of Untitled (Urban Wall). He studied at an Austrian art school for three years, specializing in stain glass window and mural painting[6]. After his education in Austria, he moved to Vienna and enrolled in the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien. While there, he attended a six year training program while simultaneously owning and running a printmaking business [6].
Hobart is known for his graphic screen prints and his innovate printing techniques [7][6]. In 1971 He created five original prints for the celebration of the Indianapolis Sesquicentennial [2]. Each of the five prints represent an important aspect of the city. The first, a five-point star encompassed by a circle, represents the city's progress and its plans for the future. The second, a sequences of consecutive diamond and circle shapes inclosed in a larger circle, "echoes a feeling of sound waves" to symbolized the social progress of both the city and its surrounding environment. The third print is a simplistic representation of the Indianapolis 500, a monumental event for Indianapolis communities. Hobart's forth design depicts two stars within a large "I" enclosed by a circle. The number "150" crosses the middle of the print. This work represents the patriotism of Indianapolis and the 150 years the sesquicentennial honors. His final print depicts converging arrows within a circle, signifying Indianapolis as the "Crossroads of America". All five prints simultaneously represent downtown Indianapolis's Monument Circle, both a local and national identifier of the city.
At the same time as the Sesquicentennial prints, he also produced original works for the International Conferences on Cities. Both sets of prints contain the bold, geometric style seen in Urban Wall. During the development and production of his mural, Hobart resided in Shelbyville, Indiana [6].
In Summer 1973, Hobart's silk screen, or serigraphy, prints were displayed at the L. S. Ayres & Company Auditorium in downtown Indianapolis as part of a two-artist show [8]. The prints displayed were created using his own unique silk screening process which entails using the squeegee like a pint brush to apply texture to the print [7] [9]. From 1976 to 1977 he taught for two semesters at the Herron School for Art and Design as an adjunct professor [10].
In 1979, Hobart created two graphics of President Jimmy Carter, one sweating and one shivering. The graphics were made into thermostats, if the temperature on the thermostat rose above 78 degrees, Carter would begin to sweat, below 65 he would shiver.[11]. The thermostats were meant to encourage citizens to stay in the temperature regulations during the natural gas crisis of the late 1970s [11].
While in Indianapolis, Hobart dedicated time to working with young people in the community on mural projects. He volunteered with Hospital Audiences, Incorporated (HAI), a group "dedicated to brining culture to the disadvantaged and isolated" youth in Indiana [12]. Hobart taught students printmaking and other artistic skills that lead to the production of student-designed murals in the Boy's School[6]. Hobart later moved to Bloomington, Indiana and maintained a career at Dynamesh, a company that supplies high quality mesh, screens, and screen printing supplies .
Condition
Since it was created in 1973, the mural has never been repainted and the north section has been completely painted over. Visible on the remaining section are concrete patches in the brick wall. Also visible at the bottom are parking signs and a large section of white paint.[13]
References
- ^ a b c Lennis, Susan. “Hey brother, can you spare a wall?”, “Indianapolis Star Magazine”, Indianapolis, 23 May 1976.
- ^ a b c d e ”Urban walls to show artist’s winning entry”, “The Indianapolis Star”, 1 September 1973.
- ^ a b c d e f g Garmel, Marion Simon.”Urban wall dedication tomorrow”, “The Indianapolis News”,n.d.
- ^ a b “Choose two buildings”, “The Indianapolis Star”, Indianapolis, 1 September 1973.
- ^ a b c d “First wall design winner”, “The Indianapolis News”, 31 August 1973.
- ^ a b c d e Lennis, Susan, “Austria’s art export”, “The Indianapolis Star Magazine”, 4 July 1971.
- ^ a b Garmel, Marion Simon, “Artist perfecting silk-screen process”, “The Indianapolis News”, 6 August 1979.
- ^ Garme, Marion Simon, "Hobart art in Ayres auditorium", "The Indianapolis News", 13 June 1973.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ayres'was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Herron School of Art and Design Records, 1902-2006, Ruth Lilly Special Collections and Archives, University Library, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
- ^ a b Mannweiler, Davie. “Sweating or shivering”, “Indianapolis News”, Indianapolis, 6 August 1979.
- ^ "Boy's School”, “The Indianapolis Star Magazine”, 23 May 1976.
- ^ Ross, Ben. "A Mural Sparks Urban Reflection". Ratio Architects. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
Other sources
- Blank walls a canvas make, The Indianapolis Star Magazine, 23 May 1976.