Chris Silva, Bronx Intersections, 2021, acrylic, spray paint, engraved MDF and wood panels, PS 340 Annex, Bronx

Bronx Intersections is a site-specific artwork by artist Chris Silva installed in the lobby of the new PS 340 Bronx Annex. The colorful, mixed-media collage features depictions of local landmarks, architectural elements and signage, animals from the Bronx zoo, and references to the school itself. Images are rendered flatly and in relief, and alternate between hand-painted treaments and digital printing on wood. Flat areas are broken up by highly textured surfaces of found wood assemblage. Opaque finishes are contrasted by transparent areas which allow the wood grain to show through.  

Silva included many iconic present day and historic landmarks from the surrounding neighborhood to give students a sense of place and home. Viewers can see depictions of the Broadway Bridge, Tracey Towers, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Jerome Park Reservoir and historic Racetrack, the Armory and the historic elevated train platfrom, Edgar Allen Poe’s home, the Bronx Coservatory of Music, and local architectural details and signage from Metro stations, restaurants, grocery stores, and the like.  

Animals from the Bronx Zoo are woven throughout the mural as well. Viewers can spot a sea otter, a llama, a flamingo, a Kihansi spray toad, a toucan, a seal, a dhole, and a monkey. Lastly, Silva included a Japanese drum and a robot as references to classes which are offered at the school.