Carly: Do you have any thoughts about this project here at Swanson Walk? Could you share your inspiration for the design?

Isaac: I live in South Philly so I am happy to have Mural Arts pay attention to this part of the city. It’s an interesting area mostly populated by large box retail stores. I am curious to hear people’s reactions to murals juxtaposed with Target, Marshalls, RiteAid, etc.   

The title for my mural is Instruction Sight. My work deals with issues of obfuscation, camouflage, the individual in relation to the environment, and obliteration through repetition and meditation. I achieve this through stylized mark making and constraining my color choices. I tend to use primary and secondary colors to symbolize elements and basic building blocks. I like to imagine what existed at the very beginning and what will remain in the end.  

For this mural, my design is based on a previous painting, Primary Center. I kept the same theme of looking and seeing but truncated the design to fit this wall. The black lines and white spaces represent connections and pathways between three distinct realms – red, blue, and yellow. The primary colors are used to symbolize particular outlooks and perspectives. I hope that people will be open to more than one way of seeing and communicating.

Carly: And finally, what upcoming projects are you excited about?

Isaac: My wife and I recently bought a house. I am excited about finishing up our kitchen and beginning renovations on the upstairs bedrooms. I am hoping to move my studio in the near future and looking forward to a group show at Fleisher Ollman next year.

Carly: Thanks so much, Isaac!

Be sure to visit Isaac’s new work, Instruction Sight, this Friday during the Mural Arts Month Kickoff Party, and while you’re there, take a look at the dynamic new murals by megawatt artists Steve Powers, Peter Ferrari, and Joe Boruchow.