Supergraphics are large-scale painted or applied decorative graphics used over interior or exterior walls, floors, or ceilings in order to alter visual perception of a building or interior space. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] Supergraphics typically wrap around multiple architectural planes or surfaces, [6] [4] and change appearance of spaces by affecting perception of their size or depth. [7] [8]
Supergraphics are one of the tools of environmental graphic design that can allow to incorporate wayfinding or branding [1] in public spaces like transit hubs, office buildings, hospitals, or schools. [2] [9] Supergraphics have also been used as a tool of urban renewal. [9] [6] Unlike murals, supergraphics are defined by their oversized scale and typically incorporate typography, multi-colored abstract graphic shapes, patterns, [10] or illustrations.
Supergraphics originated in mid-1960s [3] and surged in popularity during the 1970s. [4] Early practitioners of supergraphics included graphic designers Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, [11] [12] Morag Myerscough, Lance Wyman, [13] [2] and Deborah Sussman. [8] [7] [14] Sea Ranch, a 1965 [15] project by Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, introduced supergraphics to a wide American audience. [16] [8] [17] [18] After a decline in popularity in the decades that followed, supergraphics experienced a resurgence in 2000s. [6] [19]
The term supergraphics was first used by teacher and critic C. Ray Smith [19] [6] in 1967 [4] to describe experimental work developed by the postmodern architectural movement of Supermannerists. [6] [19] Smith's definition of supergraphics excluded depiction of alphanumerics or figurative illustrations. Over time, the term had been expanded to include any large-scale architectural graphics that alter the viewer's perception of architectural environment. [4] [6] [7] Modern interpretation of supergraphics also includes graphics that are projected digitally or displayed on screens. [19]
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