Location: 201 Ellicott Street (Get Directions)

Like many abstract artists, Josef Kristofoletti privileges the power of color, light, and form. There is a sort of romance to the placement of this spectacular and meditative work, full of gradations of tones and hues, in an urban setting. The gentle sweeps of color suggest the sublime nature of a sunset amid the steel and stone of downtown Buffalo’s architecture.

The “Golden Hour,” sometimes referred to as the “Magic Hour,” is a time near or at sunrise and sunset that artists, particularly photographers and painters, are drawn to because of the way the brightness of the sky and land tend to match more closely, making objects appear “softer” due to the lack of distinct shadows. The glow that appears during these times can be majestic—even awe-inspiring—in its natural beauty. 

Kristofoletti evokes this same kind of rapturous experience in his work. Juxtaposed here against the grid of neighboring buildings, the blurring and blending of colors in the artwork amplifies its importance as a moment of blissful disruption in the urban landscape while simultaneously pointing us back to the distinct features of the surrounding architecture, both new and old.