NEW YORK – Away from the hustle and bustle of the original picture’s location, Eduardo Kobra has painted a mural rendition of Alfred Eisenstaedt’s photograph celebrating the celebrations in Times Square at the end of World War II. Eisenstaedt’s picture of a sailor kissing a surprised, but compliant woman, captured the jubilation of a moment in time and Kobra reinforces those feelings by highlighting the image with a kaleidoscope of fluorescent colors.

The image, on 10th Avenue at 25th Street and viewed especially well from the Highline Park, is in line with Kobra’s goal of making the world prettier (his words) by reinterpreting images from last century with bright colors and in large scales on today’s walls. His project “Walls of Memory” developed as a way to transform the urban landscape through art and bring back the memories of the city. Thus by drawing from images that celebrate important moments in the city’s past, like Eisenstaedt’s, Kobra instantly reminds the public of the richness of our city’s history.

While Kobra stopped by New York to spread some of his magic, he usually works in his hometown of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where his work has awarded him much renown. His airbrushed murals, usually portraying important events in Brazilian history, are created so that they almost appear three-dimensional, drawing in the viewers more completely than other street art strives to. He puts his perspective skills to use also mastering the ability to create 3D sidewalk art—the first to bring this art form to Brazil. His newest project, Green Pincel, deals with the themes of mankind’s interactions with nature.

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