Philadelphia Traction Company is about to have an exterior makeover, courtesy of artist Joe Boruchow. The members of the Traction Company approached Boruchow earlier this year about creating a site-specific installation to enliven the boarded-up windows of its building at 41^st Street and Haverford Avenue. This will be Boruchow’s largest installation to date, and there will be an opening celebration on Wednesday, August 17 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Traction Company itself is a collaborative workspace in West Philly founded in 2007 by graduates of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The large facility allows these sculptors the room they need to tackle large-scale projects.

Boruchow’s contribution will be to fill the windows of the former 19^th century trolley factory with his stunning black-and-white posters that have been showing up in Philly’s public spaces for the past eight years. There are nine 4 by 10-foot vertical windows and two 7-foot squares — a large undertaking indeed, but one that will undoubtedly transform the building’s appearance for the best.

The posters are enlarged versions of black paper cutouts which the artist sometimes displays small-scale and mounted on satin. Some of Boruchow’s images depict people or situations, but this series, in particular, has quite a bit of abstraction as well. The two 7-foot pieces are loosely narrative, from the gossipy whisper of “Secret“ to the explosive ending with “Volcano.”

The more numerous vertical works have a more wide range of content, of course. “Widow’s Walk” shows a woman in a wheelchair nearing a street with speeding taxis and bicycles. Appearing like merely a heavily contrasted pattern, the title of “Cars and Housetops” immediately introduces urban associations that speak to its surroundings, as well as its purpose of renovating an old, industrial building.

At the opening, the originals will be on display for one night only, so be sure to stop by. If you don’t have a chance to make it to the reception, the windows will display Boruchow’s work until October, when the Traction Company will replace it with a new installation.

The Philadelphia Traction Company is located at 41st Street and Haverford Avenue in West Philly; http://www.tractioncompany.com/