Nike
Atlanta, GA
16×20′
Nike opened an office in Atlanta, and they wanted to express their brand ethos in a way that captured a feeling of pride in the city. Their creative team allowed me the freedom to develop a design for their working space, one that blended together hallmarks of the city, of sport, and of art.
Sports can be as fundamental to the Southern experience as religion, and basketball is arguably the game of choice to play here, where the court allows for fellowship, prayers, and baptisms. Inspiration was drawn from Sunday pick-up ball, stained glass windows, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Howard Finster.
In-progress and behind-the-scenes
Keep It Moving
There’s an element of athleticism that underscores painting murals, where installation requires the physicality of constantly walking, stepping, lifting, pushing, and pushing. It demands commitment, practice, performance, stamina, and endurance.
Often in adverse conditions, like relentless sun, stifling heat, pestering rain, or unforgiving cold, muralists have to paint with their whole body, for eight+ hours a day, seven days a week.
But, For Real, Keep It Moving
I grew up playing sports and I love watching all types of competition (especially when I get to support the home teams). Coming up with designs that combine my love of art, sport, and this city, for a brand that I’ve always admired, felt like a dream. It was such an enjoyable exercise that it kept me exploring, the sports, the heroes, and the landmarks, trying to find ways that could capture what these elements inspired. Here are some designs that didn’t make the cut.
Concept 01
My first love is skateboarding, so that’s where my ideas started. These designs depict one of the greatest modern skaters, Atlanta’s own Grant Taylor, and a Nike athlete, skating in front of The Vortex’s skull, in the heart of Little 5 Points.
Concept 02
Grant Taylor sits with shapes inspired by Isamu Noguchi’s playground design in Piedmont Park.
Concept 03
I’ll go on record and say that Thomas Taylor, Grant’s dad, established the Atlanta skate scene by opening Stratosphere Skateboards. Grant is depicted in front of the original location in Little 5 Points.
Concept 04
The Krog Street tunnel is an iconic location in Atlanta, so it only made sense to include an homage to it.
Concept 05
Sometimes, there are superstars that completely energize the city. Ronald Acuña Jr., also a Nike athlete, is one of those people and he deserves all of his applause.
Concept 06
I’ve been willing The Dirty Birds to win a chip since I was a kid. Nothing’s changed (unfortunately).
Concept 07
Similarly, I’ve been rooting for The Hawks since I was a wee tyke (ever since Spud Webb won the dunk contest) and I wanted to give a nod to my team in the concept. The original color palette was changed to be more aligned with the wallpaper used in the rest of the space.
