Artist Andrea Grasso wants you to get lost in his new abstract South Philly mural

New mural completed this week by artist Andrea Grasso, located at 8th and Manton Streets in South Philly! Titled Convergence, the mural was created with Mural Arts Philadelphia. It’s the latest in a seemingly growing number of awesome abstract murals coming from the organization, including this recent one from artist Tim McFarlane.

“I like to think of my abstract geometric murals as being architectural in nature,” Andrea wrote over email. “Our cities can so often be square, boring, and full of gray/brick color. Because of that I decided to start making art that is the opposite of our traditional surroundings. Almost like if you took all the components that went into building a house, threw them in a blender with a bunch of color, and made something beautiful out of the chaos that ensued.”

Andrea continued: “My designs are ultimately born of the process of chaos. I create a visual mess and slowly weed through what seems like a never-ending pile of layers and patterns, eventually rebuilding the design into a coherent space. Personally, I find solitude in the process of getting lost in the design (and getting lost in general) because at the end it makes you appreciate the feeling of being found and the journey that you went on to get there. For many people an abstract art project like this one might simply add color and energy to the neighborhood (and it certainly does that) but for me there’s something magical about designing something that works directly with the space that it exists in. My art is a testament to the idea that we need to begin to rethink the spaces that we live in, and the concept of what we consider as being ‘normal.’ I try to transform the walls I paint on so that instead of just looking like a ton of bricks, that the design will hit you like a ton of bricks when you walk around a corner and see it for the first time.”

Love this work and the concept behind it. I hope to see more public art from Andrea over the coming years!