New Missouri Bank “Artboards” debut for First Friday, March 6

The Missouri Bank Crossroads location, at 125 Southwest Boulevard, KCMO, will debut four new large-scale commissioned images by Kansas City artists Mark Allen and Shawn Bitters as part of its ongoing “Artboards” series in time for First Friday, March 6, 2015. Installed on the exterior, double-sided billboards rising above the bank, the “Artboards” are visible to the public all hours of the day, and will remain on view through the end of May 2015.

On the East-facing billboards, Mark Allen presents two images from his Ethereal Waters series. Ethereal Waters is a photography project that focuses on the mysterious and aesthetic qualities of water, and how the human subject portrays their innermost consciousness when separated from surroundings that might otherwise define them. The lack of gravity and horizons creates a scene unlike anything in nature, an ethereal world.

On the West-facing billboards, Shawn Bitters presents Said Yellowstone to Taum Sauk. Shawn Bitters’ work focuses on how we use language, narratives, and belief structures to establish connections to our environment. Said Yellowstone to Taum Sauk, his most recent alphabet, is derived from volcanic bombs, aerodynamically shaped rocks that are formed in midair after they are forcefully ejected from a volcano. Each composition of rocks corresponds to a self-created alphabet displayed alongside.

For more detail about the program and artists, see the full Press Release.

Images from Left: Mark Allen, Ethereal Waters, to be displayed on the East-facing billboards; Shawn Bitters, Said Yellowstone to Taum Sauk, to be displayed on the West-facing billboards.