''Untitled'' was an outdoor
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
created in 1972 by architect Peter Mayer located at 430 Massachusetts Avenue in
downtown Indianapolis
Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. The mural, which featured a large ear of corn with the word "HOOSIER" spelled out in the center in yellow on a white background, occupied the southern wall of the six-story apartment building. The mural was part of the renovation of the apartment complex, which opened on 11 December 1972.
Description
The mural measured approximately 75 feet wide and was painted in a matter of a week in August 1972. Mayer wanted to not only brand the new building as "The Hoosier," but was employing the white paint on the wall in an effort to reflect light into the interior of the rooms. The mural was designed to help re-brand the Davian building into the "Hoosier Apartments." a project that was completed by
Woollen Associates in 1972. The "Hoosier Apartments" were designed to be apartments for Indianapolis elderly citizens.
The mural was a feature element for the redesigned apartment building, which included a new urban park.
Historical information
This mural was the first example in the city of "super graphics," which was becoming a way to refresh the visual appearance of buildings in urban settings. Woollen Associates was so in favor of the design that the firm itself paid for part of the painting.
This mural, along with Roland Hobart's 1973
Untitled
Untitled or (Untitled) may refer to:
Artworks
* '' Untitled (2004)'', by Banksy
* ''Untitled'' (1982 painting), by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
* ''Untitled'' (Devil), a 1982 painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
* ''Untitled ...
,
Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929June 26, 2020) was an American graphic designer. His most notable designs include the I Love New York logo, a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan, and the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University and Brooklyn Brewery. In 1954 ...
's 1974
Color Fuses
''Color Fuses'' is an outdoor mural by the designer Milton Glaser that wraps around the entire ground floor of the Minton-Capehart Federal Building in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. While the building opened in 1975, the mural was finished ...
which surrounds the
Minton-Capehart Federal Building, and James Mcquiston's 1975
The Runners in downtown Indianapolis were hailed in August 1975 as adding a "delightful touch of color and imaginativeness to urban settings."
The mural was removed in the 1980s leaving practically no trace of its existence.
Artist
Peter Mayer graduated with a master's degree from the
Yale School of Architecture
The Yale School of Architecture (YSOA) is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University, and is generally considered to be one of the best architecture schools in the United States. The School awards the degrees of Master of Arc ...
and] was at the time of the mural's creation, working for the Indianapolis-based firm
Woollen Associates. He also designed the covers of the short-lived magazine, Indy Downtowner. He left Indianapolis in the 1970s to begin his own practice in Chicago.
See also
*
Untitled (Urban Wall)
''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 ...
*
Color Fuses
''Color Fuses'' is an outdoor mural by the designer Milton Glaser that wraps around the entire ground floor of the Minton-Capehart Federal Building in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. While the building opened in 1975, the mural was finished ...
*
The Runners (Urban Wall)
''The Runners'' was an outdoor mural by architect James McQuiston located on the east side of the annex to the Barnes and Thornburg Building (originally the downtown Indianapolis Woolworth's location) at 7 E. Washington Street in downtown India ...
References
{{reflist, 2
Culture of Indianapolis
Public art in the United States
1972 murals