Rainbow Road Chroma Code

By Katy Casper | Located at 6671 W. Colfax Ave.

The Lamar Station Plaza parking lot has recently been updated with several new pedestrian sidewalk islands. These sidewalks are scored with many lines that make the concrete look like square tiles. For many people, young and old, this elicits the urge to avoid the cracks because of the old superstitious saying, "step on a crack, break your mother's back." This ground game mural makes that impulse fun and educational. Nostalgic of the video game Super Mario Cart's Rainbow Road level, each square is painted a color of the rainbow with its complementary color (or opposite color on the color wheel) embedded within. Each island has rules based on color theory as to how to get across. For instance, on the first island, you are supposed to step only on primary colors (red, yellow, blue) to get across. On the second island, you are supposed to step only on secondary colors (orange, green, purple), etc. The illusory, undulating effect of the shapes is a nod to "The Illusion" wall mural by Bobby Magee Lopez on the south side of the parking lot.