This graphic was created for a very specific purpose: to beautify a construction barrier some 300 feet long and 3 feet tall. With such a peculiar canvas, a repeating design proved the most effective.

Additionally, the barrier conveys a sense of the town it resides in. Depicting an entire community is always a worthy challenge—how should design depict such a wide sense of place and time?

Inspiration was drawn from a flowing creek with stones; like any town, the creek remains itself even as it changes with each second. The "stones" are those more constant linchpins (material or otherwise, around which flow the community's sundry experiences.

This sense of movement and non-singular perspective is especially prevalent in futurist and cubist art, which provided a visual language to play with.

Seasonal variations add more visual interest and festivity to the wall, and depict the character of the town as it changes with the seasons.

Early renderings were far more abstract, featuring less prominent "stones" and very little background detail. The town's emblematic train station would eventually acquire the more dynamic shape it deserves.

A sample of especially influential works and artists:

Tullio Crali—Le Forze della Curva—Italian Futurism in a succinct form.

Franz Marc—German Expressionist. Notable treatment of color.

Marvin Cone—American Regionalist, Cedar Rapids native.