Project Description
Ian Robertson-Salt draws from the everyday visuals of Pico-Union—the early-1900s residences of the Alvarado Terrace District, the glow of storefronts in the morning, the bold creativity in local arts spaces, and the landmark Doria Apartments that reflect an era of early Los Angeles growth. Featured at the center of the poster stands a local resident and artist of the neighborhood whose creative journey is rooted in Pico-Union, representing how place and artistic expression intermingle throughout the area.
This artwork was commissioned for Metro’s Through the Eyes of Artists poster series for display in the fleet.
Artist Statement
“By juxtaposing layered images in both realistic renderings and more graphic elements, this artwork celebrates the diversity of Pico-Union with a polychromatic color scheme that draws the viewers eye into investigate every corner of the composition.”
About the Artist
Ian Robertson-Salt is a painter, muralist, mural conservator, and illustrator from Los Angeles. He has worked as a muralist and mural conservator for the Social and Public Art Resource Center, the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach Mural Program, and Arts Bridging the Gap. Aside from their professional roles working on community based mural projects for non-profit organizations and city governments, they have received public and private commissions from Los Angeles’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Teach for America, Pacific Empire Builders, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, and more. Their work often juxtaposes realistic imagery, abstraction, and graphic elements to create dialogues about complex relationships between humankind and their environment. Their work has been exhibited in numerous group exhibitions including Voss Gallery and Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City.
About Through the Eyes of Artists
In the tradition of celebrating transportation through colorful travel destination posters, Metro Art commissions a diverse range of Los Angeles artists to create original artworks for the Through the Eyes of Artists poster series. Established in 2003, the posters are displayed onboard Metro trains and buses.
View other works in the series.
Display year: 2025