Last week, artist Tom Nussbaum was putting the finishing touches on his latest endeavor – a 45-foot-tall mural at the new PSE&G substation. Like any great work of art, it reminds us to look for beauty in places we least expect to find it – even in a substation.
“When I do public art, I think about where the work is and why it should be here,” Nussbaum said. “I was looking at maps of electrical distribution – I took that idea and ran with it.”
The mural depicts six colorful wheels — one for each letter in the word Orange — representing different hubs or communities, all connected. There is so much motion in the piece – it seems to blink, spin, and pulsate with energy. It has Nussbaum’s patented sense of optimism – an important addition to a building that might have felt ominous without it.
The new electrical substation caused a bit of controversy when it was revealed three years ago. Valley residents railed against the size, location, and design of the structure. Councilwoman Summers-Johnson even likened the renderings to a “prison.” Still, PSE&G pushed through with the plans, agreeing to redesign the facade and commission a mural.
Most would agree the substation’s architecture has improved from the time it was first revealed. In the end, growing communities do need a reliable source of energy and there can be beauty in the connectedness it enables. This is the affirming message I took from Nussbaum’s mural.
Last year, a community meeting was held at Forest Street Elementary where residents and students voted for the design of a new mural. The Orange Arts Committee had shortlisted three artists – Kelley Prevard, Jacquie Comrie, and Nussbaum – all experienced artists with celebrated works.
While attending last year’s Garden State Art Tour at Manufacturers Village, where Nussbaum has his studio, I first noticed the unique way children respond to his art, perhaps because there is a sense of playfulness and wonder in it.
“The great thing about children – they respond from the heart – they look at images and just respond,” Nussbaum said. “And I guess I’m lucky that a lot of them like my work because a lot of them were voting.”
This has been a busy year for Nussbaum who, along with artists Hans Lundy and Malcolm Rolling, will complete the mural this week.
Nussbaum, visibly tired, said he was taking intermittent breaks to speak with a curator at the Montclair Art Museum. Together they are working on the catalogue for his much anticipated retrospective that is set to open this September. An opportunity to see his body of work under one roof will let longtime fans discover new things about his artistic vision and gain new insights about the evolution of his craft.
“When you look back, you see how everything connects,” said Nussbaum, 71, about the pieces chosen for the show. “Somehow it all seems to work together.”
