Odili Donald Odita, Possible Worlds, 2014, acrylic latex wall paint on wall, PS 340, Manhattan

Possible Worlds is a wall painting created by artist Odili Donald Odita specifically for Sixth Avenue Educational Campus, Manhattan. Prominently situated in the school’s lobby, it features different combinations of colors and geometrical forms organized into four interrelated vertical sections. The painting is visible from both inside the building, as well from outside through the double-height storefront window along 17th street. It was designed with these various viewpoints in mind providing unique perspectives when seen from the first floor, from above on the second floor, or from the exterior.   

Twenty-one colors make up this artwork. The artist selected these particular colors in response to the interior accent colors applied to the walls and floors within the school, as well as to those on the building’s façade including the entrance canopy. He also studied the architectural, historical and social elements of this location to determine the painting’s overall composition. The size and type of shapes within the artwork were decided based on the dimensions of the art wall, as well as details in the lobby’s design such as the inset window, the curved staircase, the diagonals in the handrails, and the surrounding windows. The artist’s intent is for the colors and patterns of Possible Worlds to suggest horizons and directions and to inspire students to set goals and work hard to achieve them. “Where the eye goes, the mind will follow.”