new art through architecture “artboards” at missouri bank debut work by elijah gowin & emily sall
The Missouri Bank Crossroads Branch, 125 Southwest Boulevard, debuts four new large-scale commissioned images, by Kansas City based artists Elijah Gowin and Emily Sall, on its “Artboards” in time for First Friday June 5, 2009. Elijah Gowin’s images, featuring a single figure set against a backdrop of blue sky punctuated by wispy clouds, might be seen as poignant meditations on personal and societal anxiety during a time of global change and crisis, as evocations of existential uncertainty, or as portraits of escape or release. Inspired by the urban environment, Emily Sall describes her two east-facing images as “graffiti like blueprints of ever changing cityscapes.” They also play on the idea of billboard advertising in terms of their bold colors, flattened imagery, and the digital manner in which they were created.
The “Artboards” project began last fall, when the building’s existing double-sided billboards were renovated and converted into a highly visible site for work by area artists as part of Missouri Bank’s purchase and renovation of the building. Designed by Helix Architecture + Design, Missouri Bank’s was the first Kansas City area building project to gain “Art Achievement” through Art through Architecture (AtA), a partnership of American Institute of Architects-Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation designed to encourage collecting and commissioning work by Kansas City area artists through architectural practice. Read full press release.