Tribeca Citizen | Art in Tribeca: Ian Sullivan on White Street

Art in Tribeca: Ian Sullivan on White Street November 25, 2024 • Arts & Culture The street artist Ian Sullivan has been commissioned to paint a 50-foot stretch of wall along White Street, the side of 381 Broadway. He was hired by the Brown Harris Stevens agent Bo Poulsen, who sold the building last year, and who was trying to get one step ahead of the graffiti taggers that used the brick facade too regularly. “The colors chosen were meant to portray a sunset, and represent the concept of ‘tomorrow is a new day,’” Sullivan said. He applied it with spray paint and paint markers. “The design itself is inspired by my love of graffiti and marine biology, specifically coral. There are also words hidden throughout the mural to add an extra interactive aspect.” Sullivan grew up in the city and has been tagging since he was 12. He studied illustration at Pratt. A repetitive theme in his work is a fictional character named SYN — his alter ego — “who embodies the rebellious spirit of the city and serves as a poignant symbol of the struggle to navigate life in one of the world’s most unforgiving environments,” as his...