I was commissioned by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) to create a poster for Car-Free Earth Day, an annual car-free event hosted by NYC DOT. Car-Free Earth Day includes car-free streets and plazas across the five boroughs, with locations featuring public art or community programming. This poster titled 'Branching', was installed at 200 bus shelters across all five boroughs.
'Branching by NYC-based illustrator Ishita Jain is a vibrant poster honoring some of the oldest New Yorkers —the City's majestic trees—on the occasion of Car-Free Earth Day. Among the branches, people run, bike, and play on the streets demonstrating the intricate relationship between nature and the urban landscape of our beloved city.'
New York City moves at an unrelenting pace, but beneath its old and majestic trees—elms, tulip poplars, magnolias, london planes, willows, ginkgos, oaks—time slows. In Branching, I drew inspiration from these giants that have borne witness to centuries of change, migrations, protests, celebrations, joys, sorrows and quiet moments. Under their canopy, the mechanical sounds of the city fade to rustling leaves, birdsong, and quiet reflection. This Earth Day, I hope you can pause to enjoy the nature woven even into our very busy streets. As we branch forward, know that there is much to love, protect, and fight for.
Initial sketches exploring ideas for the poster.
Line work inked by hand, scanned in and colored digitally
Each 'branch' represents a borough of NYC. Here are some crops and details from each borough- Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Can you identify each of the five boroughs?
