A 23-foot whale sculpture in Salt Lake City's 9th & 9th district is receiving a new mural. Artist Jiyoun Lee-Lodge designed "Open Your Eyes" to highlight the region's skies and the Great Salt Lake .
Jiyoun Lee-Lodge's 'Open Your Eyes' and the Great Salt Lake
The new mural, titled "Open Your Eyes," introduces a surrealist aesthetic to the 9th & 9th neighborhood. According to the report, the artwork features a color palette of pink and blue, centered around a prominent eye motif positioned above stylized waves.. This design is intended to draw public attention toward the natural beauty of the Great Salt Lake and the expansive Utah skies.
The vision for the piece is deeply tied to the personal history of Jiyoun Lee-Lodge. Born in Korea and educated in both Seoul and New York City, Lee-Lodge brings an immigrant's perspective to the Salt Lake City landscape. As the report says, her background allows her to infuse the sculpture with a unique perspective that mirrors the eclectic spirit of the local community.
The Salt Lake City Arts Council's 3-to-5-year rotation cycle
While many public monuments are intended to be permanent,the Salt Lake City Arts Council designed the "Out of the Blue" sculpture to function as a dynamic, rotating canvas. The council's established policy is to refresh the artwork on the whale every three to five years, ensuring the landmark evolves alongside the city.
This strategy of planned obsolescence for public art allows the city to showcase a wider array of local talent. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall noted that the transition to "Open Your Eyes" represents the city's capacity to evolve while maintaining its core identity. This approach transforms a static piece of infrastructure into a living gallery that reflects current artistic trends and community sentiment.
Moving past Mike Murdock's 'Point of Reference' sunsets
The transition marks the end of an era for the previous mural, "Point of Reference," created by artist Mike Murdock. murdock's work, which focused on the distinct colors of Salt Lake City sunsets, had transcended its role as a simple painting to become a cultural touchstone. The imagery from "Point of Reference" was so ingained in the local identity that it appeared on neighborhood signage and various pieces of merchandise.
Replacing such a beloved image is always a risk, but the shift from Murdock's naturalism to Lee-Lodge's surrealism signals a change in how the 9th & 9th neighborhood views its public spaces. By moving away from the literal depiction of sunsets, the city is embracing a more abstract and conceptual form of storytelling on its most famous aquatic landmark.
The logistics of the October 3 Whale Fest
The community will officially celebrate the transformation during "Whale Fest," an event scheduled for October 3. This celebration serves as the public unveiling of the completed work, which Lee-Lodge is slated to begin painting later this month. The report indicates that community input was instrumental in ensuring the new design remained "fun, iconic, and unique."
However, several details regarding the transition remain unclear. It is not specified how the community input was gathered or which specific suggestions from residents were integrated into Lee-Lodge's final design.. Additionally, while the report mentions the support of the community, it does not clarify if the painting process will be an open public event or a closed professional installation.
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