ARCHITECTURAL MURALS

My background as a painter and as an architect provides an ideal set of skills and experiences for creating architectural murals. Having created many landmark works of painted architecture, I have become a specialist in the art of 'trompe l'oeil' painting, a fool-the-eye style that continues in the tradition of French and Italian mural painting and building decoration.

When exploring design options for large downtown walls, I often see the architectural mural as a muralist's solution of choice for walls in urban settings. Painted architecture is custom designed to harmonize with its context. Techniques of perspective and shadow casting are used to create fully detailed illusions.

Architectural murals may also be used as the scaffolding for historical murals, where the Illusionistic architecture creates a stage for history to reveal itself. One of my best known murals, "The Newbury Street Mural" is an encyclopedia of Boston social history, with painting and sculpture references from the history of art added into the mix.

Twenty years of experience creating landmark paintings on public walls has provided me with a broad knowledge of the materials and methods that are best suited for insuring a long lifespan to the artwork. Every project requires a specific approach regarding preparation, priming, paint choice and varnish to respond to varying field conditions.

Typical paint materials of choice include artist's acrylics coated with ultraviolet radiation resistant varnishes for murals with multiple figures, or Keim silicate paint for architectural trompe l'oeil murals on unpainted masonry. MDO plywood panels on pressure treated strapping can be mounted onto an existing wall surface to create a permanent smooth substrate which has the added benefit of being able to be relocated with changes in building use. Mosaics and architectural ceramic elements can also be integrated into the project.

For commissions, competitions, and teaching information, please address inquiries to:

Joshua Winer/Mural Arts
Boston, Massachusetts
Telephone: 617.930.6010
Email: jw@joshuawiner.com

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

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This is one of Boston's best known murals, prominently sited in historic Back Bay. It celebrates the art, architecture and cultural history of the city of Boston in trompe l'oeil style. The café at the bottom of the mural includes portraits of more than fifty famous Bostonians, including John F. Kennedy, John Singer Sargent, Henry David Thoreau, Leonard Bernstein, and Babe Ruth.

 

The Newbury Street Mural. 50' high x 50' wide.
Public Design Competition Winner.



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As stated in the ‘Boston Society of Architects Award Citation’ for this project:

‘This mural amplifies the restaurant’s presence without overwhelming its neighbors and makes public art an integral part of commercial life. It does so by establishing a quietly humorous dialog with the building, one window painted and the other real. It makes more of the building than its otherwise blank façade ever could have.’

 

The S & S Restaurant Mural. Cambridge, MA 35' high x 55' wide.
Awarded The Boston Society of Architect's Award for Design Cooperation.



 

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This trompe l’oeil mural recreates a 19th century Beaux-Arts theater façade in the heart of Cambridge’s Harvard Square. Pedestrians enjoy seeing a life-sized Charlie Chaplin flirting with Marilyn Monroe on the sidewalk. This mural was painted with Keim Silicate Paint.

 

The Harvard Square Theater Mural. Cambridge, MA. With Campari Knoepffler.
Commissioned by the Townscape Institute and Loews Theaters.


 

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Covering the full length of a one hundred foot long interior waiting room, this mural is a nostalgic recreation of Boston's famous Blue Hill Avenue, There's an old time Jewish deli, the local theater, a candy store, a bank and a creamery, all conjured by the brush through architectural painting. JFK, whose political career started in these streets, is shown electioneering with the inimitable Boston pol James Michael Curley.

 

Blue Hill Avenue Mural. Interior shopping mall, 10' high x 100' long. Roslindale, MA.
Commissioned by the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged.


 

 

 

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The developer of one of Boston's best known malls commissioned me to transform their concrete highway retaining wall by painting the illusion of traditional cut stone along its face. I based the pattern of stonework along on the 19th century stonework designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the surrounding park land. Keim Silicate was the paint of choice for this project, ensuring a maintenance free, long lifespan.

 

The Chestnut Hill Highway Mural. Newton, MA. 15' high x 1,500' long.
Commissioned by the Chestnut Hill Mall/C & R Properties.



 

 

 

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This garage is a sister project to the highway mural shown above. The owners asked me 'dress-up' a plain cast-in-place parking garage with the magic of illusionist mural painting. The Art-Deco style matches the architectural character of the adjacent office tower. Again, Keim Silicate paint was the best choice, combining the beauty of stone pigments with the longevity of a silicate painting system.

 

Chestnut Hill Garage Mural. 22' high x 200' long.
Commissioned by C & R Properties.


 

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Boston's Old City Hall was the home base of more than a hundred years of Boston's pugnacious political life. When the building was renovated into an elegant office building, I created a series of murals in the building foyer to illustrated aspects of Boston's political history. The trompe l'oeil style recreates the original architecture, and creates a frame for historical narratives and details.

 

The Mayors' Wall. Boston's Old City Hall. With Campari Knoepffler. 18' high x 15' wide.
Commissioned by the Architectural Heritage Foundation.


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