The Work Behind the Work

This was a mural for WTC in Westfield Mall in NYC. I'm using the 4 suspension bridges on the main corridor on the East River: The Brooklyn Bridge, The Manhattan Bridge, The Williamsburg Bridge and the Queensboro Bridge. And the story is about the highlights of the interconnectedness of New York City’s boroughs. Designed as a tribute to the diversity and connection that defines NYC. I incorporated Walgreens logos into the cityscape (there does seem to be a lot of Walgreens presence in NYC and so, it doesn't feel out of the ordinary. Plus, all the reds and yellows, pinks and oranges of the city help create a background for the people to pop. You can see it here.

The trees on the lower left were inspired by front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have two rows of Linden trees on the south side and the north side of the museum on 5th Avenue. And all the people are based on people I know. Even in the Brownstone. And, there are cats. I love cats.

I initially tried doing this in acrylic but I couldn't get a sharp clean edge - so I did some additional research and bought some paint that is specifically for sign painting. Its oil base and the brand is called 1-shot. It was amazing. And I also got some really nice sign painting brushes. They are cut a certain way so you can get the shapes you need easliy. I would do a base of acrylic and then transfer the type onto the wood with a carbon transfer and start painting. It was a learning experience - those are the best of all. You can see more of the signs here.

I was invited last year by SCP London to join a group collection alongside British designers Reiko Kaneko, Daniel Eatock, Donna Wilson, and Stewart Easton, I designed a tea towel and tray set of my own conception. I chose to explore the theme of the birth of the universe, creating a cosmic-inspired collection that blends science, art, and utility. I had the choice of printing the towel as a screen print or as digital. I chose digital because I was interested in seeing how vibrant DTG (direct to garment) looks —and I was impressed. DTG also allowed me to use as many colors, transparencies, filters and textures as I wanted. You can see the pieces here.

Hi, I'm Mark McGinnis (aka mkmcgs). I designed this mural for a Walgreens store in the World Trade Center’s Westfield Mall, incorporating hexagonal motifs to echo the environmental design language used througout the space. The illustration featured hands interacting with objects—eyeglasses, lipstick, perfume, sushi, candy wrappers, a teapot—capturing the tactile experience of browsing both store and the larger retail environment. I always like to add cultural references to my work. This particular mural includes a subtle nod to "Hello, World!"—a phrase familiar to coders as the first line a computer ever speaks. It’s a quiet tribute to beginnings, experimentation, and the DIY spirit of tools like the Raspberry Pi. I myself have experimented with many different types of Raspberry Pi's - hence my reference to it. Like other cultural references woven into the piece, it’s there for the observant: a small signal that behind every surface, systems are running, stories are nested, and meaning is often encoded in plain sight. You can see it on my site at: mkmcgs