The digitally abstracted depiction of the Singapore Skyline was intended to be less figurative than conventional street art, allowing it to function as both an artwork and an architecturally-integral colour field within the context of the surrounding heritage buildings, and yet still be legible when viewed at a distance from the surrounding skyscrapers. I submitted this proposal for an open mural design competition. My design didn’t win, but I don’t feel bad about it because the winner is awesome! See the completed mural by another artist at the bottom of this post.
This cool, clean, contemporary mural was intended to colour the streets of Club Street with an eye-catching digitally abstracted mural depicting the duality of Singapore’s skyline: the modern skyscrapers of Boat Quay above the colonial rooftops of the Heritage District. This theme epitomises the unique character of Singapore, simultaneously cutting-edge and rooted in the past. The design was digitally extracted from one of my paintings of the Singapore skyline.
The abstract triangulated design is not only hip and trendy, but understated enough for the stately context among heritage buildings. It will also enable quick and cost-effective execution, as the mural can be executed and repaired easily using typical painting techniques by unskilled labourers. The simple geometric lines of this artwork will make it more than a painting on a wall, it will become an integral part of the architecture, and will stand the test of time as a truly civic contribution to the urban fabric of Singapore.
The winning design (pictured below) featured a sectional perspective black-and-white line drawing, evoking the traditional use of this type of building. It turned out awesome!
Images by Jonathan Choe
