As arriving passengers exit the new International Central Processor at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), they are welcomed to Houston in style with a vibrant abstract mural.
Stretching more than 220 feet along the parking garage adjacent to Terminal E, Continuous Motion by Graciela Hasper adds momentum and bold color to an otherwise dull, perfunctory space. “Her use of geometry and rhythm reflects the energy of Houston and the constant movement of an international airport,” says Alton DuLaney, chief curator of Cultural Affairs for the city of Houston.
The mural is comprised of four large sections that together form a continuous puzzle-like design. Within the individual sections are 322 unique painted metal elements, each cut from stainless steel and finished in one of more than six dozen colors. The thin lines that form the intersecting circles are actually half-inch gaps between each element.
The project spanned more than three years from initial commission to final installation this summer. Hasper spent most of that time creating scale drawings and paintings at her studio in Buenos Aires, and then flew into IAH as needed to collaborate with staff at the airport and Metalab, the Houston-based company that engineered and fabricated her piece locally.
Continuous Motion works in concert with two other pieces specifically created for Terminal E. Unexpected Spaces by Marta Chilindron is a series of flat suspended glass forms representing sunlight, foliage and water that float above the vestibules guests pass through to enter and exit the departures lobby. Horizons Spectrum by Vargas-Suarez Universal, another long exterior mural, is a series of powder-coated aluminum aircraft panels over steel armature on the wall of the departures level garage. His artwork juxtaposes giant barcodes from IAH baggage tags with route arcs and small laser-etched images of airplanes.
This curated trio and nine other permanent installations were commissioned by Houston Airports for $6 million in conjunction with the International Terminal Redevelopment Program. Funding was provided through a city ordinance that dedicates 1.75% of capital improvement project budgets for the airport and other city-owned properties to public art.
