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

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 gallerist described.

Sullivan was selected by Silverstein Properties and the Port Authority to paint murals on the walls and fences around the World Trade Center Campus near the Oculus, and he was commissioned to make a portrait of Post Malone, a custom juke box for Keith Urban, Cancer awareness cleats for NY Jets Avery Williamson, and most recently a commission to create sneakers for NY Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.

And I can’t find the post, but I do remember James Bogardus telling us in comments that the arched door was once for coal deliveries…