Derrick Adams Studio x Art At Amtrak
Art on the Mart
The City Is My Refuge (Jan 2023)
Project Brief
Client: Derrick Adams, Art at Amtrak
Work: "The City is My Refuge” - by Derrick Adams. Art at Amtrak commissioned Derrick to fill the Penn Station panels and pillars with his artwork.
Objective: Work with Derrick to design images printed on vinyl and installed around New York Penn Station.
Key Deliverables
Vinyl Design for Penn Station: Design and execute 100+ full size files to be printed on vinyl for pillars and insets in Penn Station.
Research & References: Gathered images of leaf,bush, tree and grass motifs in Derrick’s paintings. Gathered reference images of Derrick’s signature style for figures’ profile as a reference. Also drew from from Derrick’s past mural on the Franklin Ave LIRR stop in public transportation as a reference as well.
Concepts: Derrick wanted his figures to be peeking out the side of bushes and through the trees to activate the gray Penn Station with greenery and relaxation. This welcomes viewers into Derrick’s feeling that the city is his refuge.
Design Work: Design 4 distinct images that can then be iterated on to fill up the full scope of print space.
1 image for small horizontal insets, 1 for metal pillars ,1 for round pillars and 1 for a large horizontal large inset.
Split these into two main looks, people peeking out the bushes, and people peeking out behind trees.
To design the images, I vectorized 25 figure paintings by Derrick to create base assets. The I changed details and color palettes of the assets to create distinct faces to be spread around the installation.
I designed a repeatable bush asset to create a feeling of dense greenery.
Finalization & Delivery: Handled over 100 files at full size and handed off to vinyl printers for installation. Ensured all deliverables met high standards of quality and were delivered on schedule. Conducted final reviews with the team to confirm alignment with project timelines and specs.
Outcome & Impact
Art on Amtrak: Curators were overjoyed by the final product. They were very impressed by the look and feel of the installation and asked Derrick to return to animate the same mural in the Moynihan Train Station.
Penn Station: Commuters were enveloped by art and greenery while traveling through the train station. They were able to take “refuge” while on their busy schedule.
