Sarah G. Sharp, From Equinox to Solstice, 2024, ceramic pigment on porcelain tile with gold leaf, PS 85 Annex, Queens​

From Equinox to Solstice is a site-specific artwork by Sarah G. Sharp for the lobby of the new P.S. 85 Annex, Queens. This floor-to-ceiling tile mural features familiar landmarks from the surrounding neighborhood including the Robert F. Kennedy and Hell Gate bridges that famously frame Astoria and connect three New York City boroughs. The repeated triangle forms found in these structures are referenced through overlapping rays of colorful light. Images of local flowers, plants, fungi, lichen and oysters are co-mingled with silhouettes of local trees and buildings.  

To create the artwork, Sharp collaged images from various sources including vintage postcards and magazines, photographs and prints, each with unique patterns, textures and finishes. The collage was printed onto porcelain tile with ceramic pigments. Gold-leaf accents appear as shining sunrays, dandelions, leaves and seed pods.  

The cityscape is set withing a natural landscape that transitions from autumn to spring representing the school year and acting as a symbol for time passing and the persistence of the cycle of life in every season. It also acts as a backdrop to a story of growth and transformation shown through the metamorphosis of a monarch butterfly starting as a caterpillar climbing a tree, transforming into a chrysalis, and finally emerging as a butterfly. In celebrating this triumphant lifecycle, Sharp draws a metaphor with students who will thrive, grow and change over the course of their primary school years.