Creative Resilience on Rivington – 36″x48″

The setting of the painting is at the corner of Rivington and Forsyth Streets in the Lower East Side. The painting features an interpretation of the Creative Resilience mural by Danielle Mastrion, which was curated by Angela Del Sol and made with the young immigrant women of the Brave House to represent the immigrant voice during the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

The painting depicts a woman who is the focus of the composition, gazing out with one eye blocked by a tree while graffiti seems to be slowly taking over the mural. The scene is lit by a late afternoon sun, casting shadows diagonally. Diagonals are also repeated in the woman’s face, the tree line, the clouds, the bird (Half-Collared Kingfisher), and curb. In the foreground, a stroller lies broken in the middle of the street, adding a sense of everyday life and mystery. The Sara D. Roosevelt Park is in the background on the left and carries some of the same colors as the mural, and ties in with the tree on the right. A couple is running away on the sidewalk, partially out of view, adding a sense of movement and activity. The blue of the sky ties in with the blue of the mural, and the purple of the graffiti on the left extend out from the mountains in the desert scene. This painting captures the essence of the immigrant voice during the COVID-19 crisis, and the resilience and determination of the community.

Here is a video of the painting process Painting “Creative Resilience on Rivington”.

See also Legends on Rivington Street, which features a different mural at the same location a few years earlier.