Concept Detail for José Parlá’s Mural
Landmarks, the University of Texas at Austin’s public art program, has announced their plan to commission a mural by the Brooklyn-based artist José Parlá. The mural, which will be Parlá’s largest painting to date, will cover a 25-by-160-foot wall in UT’s Robert B. Rowling Hall, a newly constructed building that will serve as a multi-use classroom and gathering space for the college’s McCombs School of Business.
Parlá intends to create a mural that reflects both the city of Austin’s natural environment, and its urban cityscape. The piece will contain the artist’s characteristic Twombly-meets-graffiti calligraphic gestures along with his use of collaged elements.
Andrée Bober, the director of Landmarks, spoke about the new commission:
[Parlá] instinctively understands architectural composition and he’s intrepid when it comes to experimenting with new ways to expand his practice. Beyond the visual delight of his painting, I think people will connect with his evocation of history, memory, and the experience of life and the landscape of Austin.
The mural will be unveiled in January 2018; Rowling Hall is set to open in spring 2018.
In the past year, Landmarks has also unveiled a new large-scale permanent installation by artist Ann Hamilton and a sculpture by Marc Quinn.
