Elm City Mosaic Pieces Together Past And Present

A chain-link fence dotted with dying, rust-colored arborvitae shrubs is now the support for an eye-catching, street-level public art installation.

Dynamic geometric shapes, botanical textures, and a painted, historical Ninth Square map are all elements of Elm City Mosaic, a new art installation on Chapel Street that lends vibrancy and color as it connects a section of Chapel Street between Church and Orange Streets to its historic past.

Located between Foot Locker and Dollar Tree on the site of the former Kresge’s Department store, the public art project installed last Friday is the result of a partnership between Town Green District staff — including Executive Director Win Davis, Marketing Director Charlotte Eliscu, and Public Space Director Matthew Griswold — and New Light High School students and their art instructor, Michael Pavano. The installation was made possible through a 2017 Springboard for the Arts Creative Placemaking Grant from the International Downtown Association to the Town Green District to support its mandate to improve the downtown business climate and enrich the life of the community through creative place making.

Northside Development Co. made physical enhancements at the base of the fence in anticipation of the installation, with improved drainage, raised gravel beds, and bowl planters brimming with colorful flowers.

Accordion-type, zig-zag folds projected at 90 degree angles on large panels will share separate images on each side of the fold. As passersby approach, the image begins to shift from one image to the other. Approaching from Orange Street, viewers at first see an aerial depiction of New Haven’s upper and lower greens, a geometric layout created by colonist-surveyor John Brockett completed in 1638.

In the approach from Church Street, the passing pedestrian at first sees a large, painted reproduction of ​“Plan of the town of New Haven with all the buildings in 1748,” originally drawn by James Wadsworth and then engraved by Thomas Kensett in 1806.

Passing the central point of the piece, the viewer can see the juxtaposition of two alternating slices of imagery making up the overall design.

Central to the installation’s theme is the concept of the agamograph, a design loosely based on the work of artist Yaacov Agam. Though Agam is primarily regarded as an abstract artist, his concept easily translates to representational imagery.

Mimicking the historical shapes from the early New Haven green layout, obtuse triangles and other geometric shapes seem to explode from the rectangular confinement of the original green layout, sending the colorful geometric shards in all directions — each piece a metaphor for the evolving dynamism of twenty-first century New Haven. Each panel is painted in layered tints of base color, part of a ​“value scale” exercise taught to art students. Pavano said that painting the value scales was ​“good practice for the kids.”

Those parking on the back side of the installation can see a soothing depiction of a tree silhouette against bands of bright color evoking seasonal change.

Before the installation had been completed, some passersby paused to express appreciation for the work. Nilda Martinez, who said she often walks the downtown neighborhood, said it was interesting to see the streets she uses depicted on the early map. ​“I hope people appreciate the beautiful art and colorful details,” she said. 

For New Light High school student Tariq Banks, who did some of the computer design work for the project and joined a group of other students in painting the installation, appreciation will be icing on the cake, boosting their sense of personal and team achievement in creating Elm City Mosaic.