Alex Yanes, Better Than Yesterday, 2022, acrylic, spray enamel and epoxy resin on hand cut wood panels, Tommie Agee Educational Campus, Queens ​

Better Than Yesterday is a site-specific artwork created by Alex Yanes for the lobby of Tommie Agee Educational Campus, Queens. It is a collage of wood reliefs made up of brightly colored faces, diamonds, patterns, clouds and text. Yanes’ bold and vivid style is reminiscent of comic books, graphic design, emojis, video games and street art. The hand-cut painted panels are arranged in an energetic composition that plays with the building’s architecture – literally surrounding the lockers and doors in a way that they become part of the piece themselves. The artwork cleverly responds to the various viewpoints that the lobby and adjoining corridor provide. Each section contains interesting moments and surprises while also prompting the viewer to move through the space via directional cues such as repeating diamond edges, ascending clouds, radiating circles, and a finger-pointing emoji. The strategically placed three-dimensional relief panels produce a large-scale pop-up book effect, giving the artwork a whimsical, fun, inviting and approachable feeling.

For the artist, “Better than yesterday,” means that every day is a new opportunity to prosper and achieve. The artwork is intended to encourage and energize students and staff as they pass through the lobby each day, and to evoke a sense of hope and perseverance.