A community’s junk becomes a 300’ lenticular wall of colour in Inglewood

Lane Shordee and I started a conversation with the Inglewood BRZ for the purpose of rejuvenating a section of the Blackfoot Trail underpass that pedestrians found dark and foreboding. The sculptural-mural work helped to redefine a forgotten space through the manipulation of texture, colour and form.

The journey along the underpass begins with vertical bars of colour, painted directly onto the concrete abutment. The lenticular colour scheme flows over corrugated forms of plywood and various materials salvaged from the Inglewood Community, becoming an amalgamation of local influences.

By incorporating signs, and various recognizable materials amongst the plywood, an aesthetic is created that is unique to the area and has an immediate connection to the community at large. As one continues along their journey, the work presents the illusion of a rippling wall, reminiscent of old train cargo cars. This pattern focuses towards an epicenter, under the CPR bridge, radiating outwards in either direction. Texture and colour eventually dissipate into the concrete wall on either end of the work.