Austin Zucchini-Fowler
Mural Location: 1421 + 1425 Pearl St. Boulder, CO 80302 (Pedestrian alley next to Pedestrian Shops)
Austin Zucchini-Fowler crushed this massive mural during Street Wise 2022! “Green Harmony” illustrates the renewable energy sources of water, sun, and wind and highlights the sustainability commitments of Unico Properties and the city of Boulder.
The 3,000-square-foot mural stretches across both walls of the pedestrian alleyway adjacent to the Pearl Street Mall and even crosses onto the sidewalk, creating a truly immersive experience for viewers. The figure of Gaia anchors the mural and draws in viewers from the mall. The larger-than-life woman gazes down toward the columbine plant that she holds in her hands, engulfed in bright blues and greens that evoke earth and water and encircled by yellow and white dots that form a halo. In Greek mythology, Gaia embodies the personification of Earth and serves as one of the fundamental deities of our world.
Wind turbines fill the fields of lush green forests and blue mountains adjacent to Gaia. Austin replaces the blades of the turbines with the flowers of columbines, the state flower of Colorado. The sun rises from behind the mountains, shining its yellow and orange rays. On the opposite wall, a dam releases water that rushes across the mural and splashes on the sidewalk. A blue hand and green hand embrace in a swath of yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples. The hands coming together represent harmony with the earth, especially when relying on renewable energy sources. On the other side of the hands, the viewer finds solar panels in a vibrant green field.
Austin paints the mural using the technique of pointillism, in which the artist creates the image using small, distinct dots of color. This is a technique that Austin often uses in his art practice. His use of pointillism and vibrant colors as well as the scale and immersive nature of the mural activate the alleyway to create a more inviting, safer space for pedestrians and street art lovers. (Follow the alleyway further north to check out Street Wise murals by Shannon Galpin, Gabriel Sanchez, and Gregg Deal!)
Partners include Unico Properties (@hellopearlstreet), Downtown Boulder Community Initiatives (@downtownboulder), Pedestrian Shops (@pedestrianshops), and Bulldog Electric. Shoutout to Bulldog Electric for installing brand-new lighting in the alleyway!
About the Artist: