Project Description

Pinkney’s goal was to capture the energy and excitement of the City of Compton through local cultural icons (known and not so well-known) including: the Compton Airport, Compton Creek Horse Trail, Olympic Memorial Park, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and a skate park.

 

Artist Statement

“Upon visiting the City of Compton, you soon become aware of the energy and excitement found here. The impression is often quite different from how the city is depicted in the media and by non-residents.”

About the Artist

ELLIOTT PINKNEY  (b. 1934, Brunswick, Georgia; d. 2019, Los Angeles)  lived and worked in the city of Compton.  Pinkney, an accomplished artist who worked in a variety of media as a printmaker, muralist and sculptor, centered his work around color experimentation. His high school teachers encouraged him to pursue a career in the arts. He moved to California and received a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Woodbury University. He completed several murals in Compton and Los Angeles, as well as public commissions from SPARC, the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the Los Angeles City Library, and the Los Angeles County Health Services.

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.