Local artist Krista M. Jones debuts her latest public art piece.
“Public art is about enriching sterile spaces and being able to see color in this concrete world,” says artist Krista M. Jones, and her latest piece along the PATH400 trail is proof of that. Done through a partnership with the regional nonprofit Livable Buckhead, her new mural is transforming a once barren set of walls along the Wieuca Road bridge connecting the east and west sides of Buckhead into a colorful and dynamic outdoor canvas. Livable Buckhead Executive Director Denise Starling described the spot as an important link in the trail but one that was previously “visually pretty forgettable.” We talked with Jones, aka JONESY, to get the scoop on the project, as well as her background, influences and more.
You’ll be finishing this new mural sometime in October. What can you tell us about it?
It’s roughly 220 feet long and about 2 feet high on each side. Denise gave me a few initial parameters, like staying within their branded color palette. I then came up with three concepts, and they put them out to the public to vote on.
This isn’t the first mural you’ve done for Livable Buckhead. How did your piece Great Blue, which features a group of herons gracing a large retaining wall between Lenox Square and Miami Circle, come about?
It came through a call for art back in 2019. Denise and I had a site visit and talked about the things they liked about my previous work and discussed the birds and plant life that were seen on-site. There was a water element close by, and some herons had been spotted there, which was part of the inspiration.
Nature seems to be an influence in a lot of your designs.
We’re part of the natural world, so it makes sense to draw inspiration from that. A lot of my work has avian themes. It’s not about them as birds necessarily, but rather the freedom and movement they represent.
Have you always been artistic?
I’ve always had jobs that were sort of creative adjacent. I was a professional tattoo artist for a number of years and also practiced photography before finishing my degree [a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbus State University]. After that, I went on to a graphic design career for about 13 years before becoming a full-time artist and muralist.
How would you describe your style?
I’m a symbolist, which stems from the fact there’s meaning in the colors I use and elements I choose. There’s a lot of pattern recognition in my work, examining the parallels between our inner and outer worlds and how they mirror each other.
In September, you completed a threemonth residency at the Fulton County Central Library, where you were one of three artists working in a glass studio. Your mural work is obviously very public, as well. Is it weird to have people watching you as you create?
As an artist focusing on work that’s about processing the human experience, I describe the collective experience of people watching me while I work as a social experiment to a degree. I’m creating something for other people to see, and I try to do it in a way that’s not performative.
KRISTA M. JONES
jonesyartatl.com
@jonesyartatl
