Murals Seen On The 1st & 2nd Street Underpasses In Wichita

   Painted on the walls of both the 1st and 2nd street underpasses for Interstate 135 (which runs north and south through the heart of Wichita) are four interesting and visually stimulating murals.

   What makes them interesting (at least to me) is not the subject matter, but rather where they are painted, and why that location affects how they are viewed and what is seen.

   If one is driving down either 1st or 2nd street and passes the murals going the posted speed limit, the artwork can only be seen peripherally, and then only as indistinct geometric patterns of various shades of blue or yellow. 

                                                       Eastbound drivers view of the underpass

   To be able to truly appreciate the subject matter, which is what makes the murals visually stimulating, this art pretty much has to be viewed from the perspective of a pedestrian. 

Blue (top) and yellow (bottom) 1st street underpass murals

                     Yellow (top) and blue (bottom) 2nd street underpass murals