Ashop x Lennox: #DegreesOfPerfect
#DegreesOfPerfect is a first-of-its-kind exhibition of art and engineering. The result of our unique collaboration with HVAC manufacturer Lennox Air. A revolutionary new approach to muralism that uses temperature reactant paint in order to offer a whole new layer of possibility for our artists.
For last year's #lennoxartproject we painted some murals that were animated using digital projections. The project was amazing, and by the end of it we were already brainstorming ideas for the 2016 campaign. Then during a creative brainstorm with Kyle from GSD&M (The firm in charge of #lennoxartproject) the Eureka moment happened. We would use thermochromic paint for our murals. A paint influenced by the very element that Lennox excels at controlling. However, it had never yet reached its full potential by being used in a fine arts context. The fit was perfect.
Using a new technology opened up a world of opportunity for us. We now had a chance to express a whole new dimension to our artwork. The element of duality and transition really inspired the central theme for the project. We used this angle to create five transformative murals that represent the five pillars at Lennox: Purity, Solar, Adaptive, Quiet, and Balance.
Purity by Dodo Ose
Quiet by 123 Klan
Solar by Zek One
Balance by Slick
Adaptive by Bacon
Eager to share our new scientific discovery with the fam, we invited 123 Klan and Bacon to join forces with A’shop Crew’s top dogs Zek One and Dodo Ose. From the getgo we knew we wanted to host the exposition in the hottest spot for street art, and L.A’s The Container Yard was the place to be. Because of this, it made sense for us to reach out to Slick from L.A in order to create a bridge between our two cities. Finding players that could understand and capture the potential behind this new approach to muralism was the key to creating artwork that could shift effortlessly from one image to another. With our dream team assembled, we got to work painting our five 8'x20' murals.
Next we had to tackle the technical aspects of the project. After weeks of laboratory work we figured out who were the best thermochromic paint suppliers for our particular needs, and which temperatures worked best. Since the climate in Montreal (where the murals were painted) is radically different from the climate in Los Angeles (where the artshow was happening) we needed Lennox to jump in and solve the tricky parts.
Building the temperature controlling structures on which the murals were installed, was quite the challenge. Everything had to be precisely calibrated for the morphing effect to take place. It required extensive electrical work at our workshop, a whole team of Lennox engineers, and some outside-of-the-box thinking.
“First I asked Fluke what temperatures he needed, that was the most important thing.” Alain Savard, Founder and Owner of Climatisation BS – premier Lennox dealer, explains, “I took those two temperatures, and we calculated how much time it is going to take to make the panel react.”
From there, the team tested numerous frames and canvases—small at first, then progressively larger. “We put aluminum in the front and really good insulation in the front’ Alain explains. “We played with it a lot. I don’t know how many we made.
“The genius behind this,” Fluke explains, “was that Alain was able to give us a closed circuit, so we’re not wasting any energy. We’re actually recycling the same air over and over again, which is something I had not thought of. That’s where his expertise really came into place, he said, ‘We can’t waste this hot air or cold air; let’s recycle it."
Thanks to the expertise of the Lennox team we were able to create a closed circuit cooling/heating system that could morph our artwork every seven minutes.
With the equipment ready and the artwork complete, now all we needed was a way to showcase our creations. A’shop crew’s Ankh one and Jay Boivin created some awesome videos for the project, but we needed people to see these in person so they could really witness the magic firsthand. A launch party was organized at The Container Yard, and we booked the incredible Dj/producer Toro Y Moi to provide the soundscape. As well as being on the forefront of the L.A. music scene, he also has a background as an illustrator which made him the perfect fit to curate the music selection for our show.
The launch was a huge success! We would like to thank everybody who came through and made this such a memorable event, as well as DoLa for organizing the party.
This one will go down in the books as our biggest Ashop party so far!
Party pic photo credits: Adam Thomas