Murals with a Message
By Ishikaa Kothari
Murals with a Message By Ishikaa Kothari 2020
Acknowledgements
This book would not be possible without the guidance and support of Mr. Enright. Thank you so much for being my mentor and advising my independent study. You have taught me how to effectively combine art and activism to change the world positively. I would also like to thank Mr. Simon and Dr. Nicholson-Flynn, on behalf of Riverdale Country School, for funding these books and assisting me in sharing my work with other people. I am profoundly grateful for the artists in this book for inspiring me as an artist through their exceptional artwork and being a part of this book. Lastly, I would like to thank my family: Ruchi, Eshaan, Arjun, and Jiterndra Kothari for supporting me daily. Finally, thank you for exploring this book of murals.
Endless Expression, Ishikaa Kothari & Nicky Enright, 2020. A collage comprising Altamira cave paintings and murals by David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, the Berlin Wall (Kani Alavi), ancient Egypt, and Banksy.
Preface
Murals are defined as paintings on walls, so their environments contribute to the impact of the artwork. Murals can be legal and illegal street art, such as graffiti. Graffiti is writings or art in public spaces without legal permission. Even though some murals have been confined to galleries in elite museums, the beauty of most murals is that they are free and open to the public. The artwork is meant for everyone no matter the class, race, or gender. Thus, murals often unify people and revitalize communities. In addition, murals have the power to spur change by conveying effective political and social messages that rebel against the flawed status quo. Throughout this book, it is apparent that various muralists wield murals as a tool to express themselves and to share their philosophies with the viewer. This book will feature extraordinary murals throughout history and the rich messages and ideas within them. By expressing the various functions of murals, I will depict the limitless power of murals and the intersectionality between art and activism. I hope through this information I am able to spark your interest in murals and the act of using art to address an issue and demand change.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
CHAUVET CAVE PAINTINGS
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ANCIENT EGYPTIAN \ TOMBS
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US-MEXICO BORDER
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5 POINTZ CONTROVERSY
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SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL CONTROVERSY
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RENAISSANCE
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HINDU TEMPLES IN INDIA
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THE AUTHOR'S ART
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MEXICAN MURALISM MOVEMENT
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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WPA MURALS
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GRAFFITI IN NYC
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NORTH IRELAND
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THE BERLIN WALL
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DETROIT, USA
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
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BANKSY
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FEMALE MURALISTS & STREET ARTISTS
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RAE SENARIGHI
Chauvet Cave Paintings
Some of the earliest known murals are located in southern France, like in the Chauvet (Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc) Cave, and date circa 30,000 BCE. Humans during the Paleolithic Era created paintings on caves depicting animals, such as rhinoceros, lions, and horses, with charcoal, clay, soot, and berries. They used rocks to make etchings, which created a mobile effect, and hollow bones and reeds to spray color onto the walls. Cave people used pre-existing rock formations to suggest the three-dimensionality of the animals. It is believed that these people produced these paintings to plan hunting expeditions, communicate with others, and/or decorate their caves. These murals demonstrate that since prehistoric times people have had a need to express themselves visually and that art played, and continues to play, an integral part in humans’ lives.
A replica of Panel of Rhinos (c. 33,000-c.30,000 BCE)
Panel of Lions (c. 33,000-c.30,000 BCE)
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The cave people in c. 33,000-c.30,000 BCE formed the Panel of Horses (replica) with charcoal and other media. The uneven surface helps create an effect where it seems like the horses are moving.
The painters of this art piece sprayed red pigment onto a cave wall to make The Red Dots Cluster (replica) in c. 33,000-c.30,000 BCE.
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Ancient Egyptian Tombs
During the 18th Dynasty of the Egyptian New Kingdom (1543-1292 BCE), Egyptians adorned tombs of pharaohs and other important members of their communities. The first tomb murals date back to circa 3,000 BCE. Complex murals inside pyramids demonstrate the significance of the afterlife to ancient Egyptians. The paintings were formed to guide the dead into the afterlife. Murals also feature various Egyptian deities, the mummification process, moments in the life of the deceased, and hieroglyphics, the birth of writing.
These murals (c.1543-1292 BCE) are a part of the tomb of Amenhotep, the doorkeeper of Egyptian god Amun, and his wife, Satamen.
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This mural (c.1543-1292 BCE), containing hieroglyphics and Egyptian figures, is in the tomb of Sa-mut, the son of Amenhotep and Satamen, and Ta-Khaeet, Sa-mut's wife.
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Renaissance
The end of the Dark Ages in Europe led to a new period of technological advancement, prosperity, and creativity, known as the Renaissance (13001600) or "rebirth" in French. This revival of the arts was greatly influenced by the philosophy of Humanism, which brought greater attention to the value and beauty of human beings. The Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts that celebrated and promoted Catholicism. The House of Medici, an affluent, influential Italian family, funded numerous artworks in churches to atone for usury, or moneylending, which was considered a sin.
The Sistine Chapel, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City, is adorned with frescoes, paintings created through watercolor on wet plaster on walls, that Michelangelo, an extraordinary Italian artist, painted. These murals are considered to be major artistic accomplishments of human civilization. He painted Christian figures and symbols and biblical scenes. Michelangelo painted these artworks, commissioned by Pope Julius II, from 1508 to 1512.
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The Creation of Adam (c. 1508–1512) is one of the most prominent murals in the Sistine Chapel by Michealangelo.
The Last Supper (1495–1498), located at Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, Italy, depicts Jesus Christ among the Apostles by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Hindu Temples in India
In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, Sri Manickavasagar painted murals (shown below) of Hindu deities in the Sri Athmanathaswamy Temple in Avudaiyarkovil, a village in India. The artist created these intricate murals with natural colors, turmeric, charcoal, lamp soot, and yellow ochre. Because of neglect and an accumulation of soot and dust, these murals are deteriorating, yet most of the depictions are visible after hundreds of years.
These murals, gradually fading away, thoroughly tell the story of Indian gods, including Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha.
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Mexican Muralism Movement
The Mexican muralism movement (c.1920-1970) gave birth to countless impactful murals. In response to political instability and bloody wars from the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), the government initiated a mural program to promote and share the ideas of the Mexican Revolution to the immense illiterate population. This movement was part of a political ploy to elevate the Mexican Revolution and its ideas, a form of propaganda. The Mexican muralism movement was led by the “the big threeâ€? painters, Diego Rivera, JosĂŠ Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
Diego Rivera
The Creation (1922) is Rivera's first government-commissioned mural in Mexico, so this mural is pivotal to the Mexican muralism movement. In just a year, Rivera completed this thousand-square-foot piece. The mural contains religious and mythological symbols, alluding to the Divine Trinity at the top, Adam and Eve on the bottom, and the nine Muses on the right and left.
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Tenochtitlán, on the North Wall, is just one side of a series of murals that are a part of The Epic of the Mexican People (1929–1935). Rivera used the four walls of the National Palace in Mexico City to depict Mexican history. The North Wall displays vibrant Aztec culture, the West Wall portrays the belligerent conflicts that followed Spanish conquest, and the South Wall conveys Rivera’s hope for a better future filled with peace, prosperity, and progress.
This mural is just one side of the four Detroit Industry Murals (1933). These murals not only critique capitalism and the exploitation of the working class but also pharmaceutical and chemical industries for the production of poison gas for warfare. Rivera’s Marxist philosophy created controversies in Detroit, a highly industrial city. Additionally, the murals include references to events occurring with the Ford Motor Company at that time in Detroit. This painting shows the advanced technology and assembly line of the company, and the murals were inspired by a strike of 6,000 workers against the business. These complex murals contain numerous allegories, including references to Aztec mythology.
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Man at the Crossroads (1934), funded by the Rockefellers, was located in the ground-floor of the Rockefeller Center in New York City. The controversial mural was uncompleted and destroyed because it displayed Vladimir Lenin, a communist Russian leader. Rivera then recreated this art piece in Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, calling it Man, Controller of the Universe.
Symbolic Landscape (1940) portrays Rivera's turbulent relationship with Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist and feminist. When they were creating art, Rivera's fame overshadowed his wife's remarkable work. However, these days, Kahlo and her artwork are greatly recognized.
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JosĂŠ Clemente Orozco
While Rivera possessed a sanguine attitude towards the Mexican Revolution, Orozco had a darker outlook, as shown by the frequent usage of red and black in the murals below, on the Mexican Revolution as it led to the death of numerous people.
Prometheus (1930) depicts Prometheus, a Titan, reaching out to a fire, a symbol of wisdom and enlightenment. The white panels are supposed to resemble flames.
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The three faceless soldiers, which could be seen as one soldier in three positions over time, of the Mexican Revolution in The Trench (1926) demonstrates Orozco's reluctance to idealize and celebrate the revolution, unlike Rivera and Siqueiros.
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David Alfaro Siqueiros
Siqueiros saw creating murals not as an opportunity to demonstrate his talent or the beauty of art but as an outlet to share his ideas. For this reason, his artworks are filled with meaning, depicting various issues, from slavery to capitalism. As an avid communist, he wanted his art to be open and free to the public.Â
Muerte al invasor, Death to the Invader, (1942) exhibits the indigenous people of Chile fighting for freedom and independence from the European Conquistadores.
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CaĂn en los Estados Unidos, Cain in The USA, (1947) exposes and critiques white Americans' exploitation of black people. The laughing faces of the white people and the trapped, bleeding Black man demonstrates the inhumanity and cruelty of slavery.
Self-Portrait (1945) is a self-portrait of Siqueiros.
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WPA Murals
From 1929 to 1941, the United States, including numerous other nations, was suffering from a severe economic collapse. This time was known as the Great Depression. In 1935, to provide economic relief and jobs for US denizens, the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, commissioned numerous murals. This project was inspired by the Mexican muralism movement. Some of these murals helped revitalize communities suffering from the Depression.
With the money from the WPA, Anton Refregier, a Russian artist, created 27 murals (19401948) in the Rincon Postal Annex in San Fransico. This art piece, depicting Civil War riots and anti-Chinese Sand Lot riots, are a part of the History of San Francisco mural series.
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Graffiti in NYC
In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a significant surge of graffiti, which is officially considered vandalism, in New York City. Countless artists competed to express themselves through graffiti and leave their mark on the city. The movement first started in the Bronx and Washington Heights and eventually spread all over NYC. Because of NYC's limited funds to remove these artworks and subways' accessibility, the subway and train systems helped fuel the growth of this explosion of street art.
These images display some of the graffiti found on subways and trains in the 1970s and 1980s.
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This picture depicts Keith Haring, a prominent street artist, drawing a mural in a NYC subway station.
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Northern Ireland
Currently, there are approximately 2,000 murals in Northern Ireland. In the 1970s, there was a huge outbreak of murals, many serving as outlets of political expression. Numerous political and paramilitary groups, such as the Ulster Defence Association, commissioned murals to push their agenda onto the citizens. Acting as mirrors, numerous murals reflect Ireland's history filled with religious conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.
This image depicts a "peace wall" filled with murals. In the 1970s, Belfast, a city in North Ireland, became increasingly segregated because of tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Residents, scared of violence from the opposing religion, lived near people of the same religion. To maintain peace and separate volatile communities, the British police created "peace walls." Although these walls were meant to be temporary, some are still standing today.
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This sectarian mural displays a daunting Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF) member.
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The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. West Berlin was a part of the German republic while East Berlin was a region of the communist Soviet Union. Germany stated that it formed this wall to protect citizens from West Berlin from communist ideas. The Berlin Wall, a physical sign of oppression, separated families and cut East Berliners from their jobs. The West Berlin side was covered with art, including graffiti, unlike the East Berlin side as the residents were not allowed to come near the wall. Most of the controversial artworks were removed. After the wall was torn down, in 1990, a section of the wall was devoted to the East Side Gallery, which holds 105 murals by artists from all over the world. Es Geschah im November, It Happened in November, (1990) by Kani Alavi, an German–Iranian painter, depicts the day when the wall fell and countless East Berliners fled to the other side. People with diverse expressions demonstrate the various feelings of relief, anxiety, and perplexment that East Berliners felt that day.
My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love (1990) by Dmitri Vrubel, a Russian artist, ironically references the famous socialist fraternal kiss, a form of greeting among socialists, between Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker.
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Detroit, USA
Detroit locals turn to the powerful tool of murals to unify their people, revitalize their city, and raise awareness about the complexities of Detroit’s history and the dilapidation the community has suffered through. Over the past four years, the Eastern Market Corporation and 1XRUN have funded 125 murals, created by local and international muralists, in the Eastern Market. These vivacious murals leave viewers shocked, elated, and inspired while delivering an important message. They critique Detroit’s history filled with racial tensions while introducing life back into the community and bringing Detroit’s people together. This mural (2017) by Brendan "BMike" Odum and Rick Williams honors Black people's resilience throughout Detroit's racial conflicts.
This mural commemorates Black stars and musicians.
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Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia is one of the few cities in the world where street art, including graffiti, is legal. Often, the city council commissions artists to display their art. These artworks add color, vibrancy, and culture to Melbourne, attracting tourists. Even though street art has benefited the city financially, getting the city council to legalize street art in some parts of Melbourne has been difficult.
This mural (2016) of an aboriginal child by Matt Adnate reminds viewers that the indigenous people still live after British colonization and exploitation of natives, resulting in an genocide of aboriginals. Adnate hopes to give the indigenous people a voice and representation through his art.
Hoiser Lane, one of the most popular streets in Melbourne, is filled with murals and graffiti.
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Banksy
Banksy is an anonymous British street artist, vandal, and activist who has created his murals illegally and legally all over the world through graffiti and stenciling. Most of his street art incorporates satire, expressing impactful political and social messages. His murals portray critiques of imperialism, war, consumerism, and authoritarianism. Banksy began his career in the 1990s, and his eminence and the effectiveness of his murals are partly due to his anonymity.
Sweep it Under the Carpet (2006) in London critiques Western nations for neglecting and refusing to address global issues, such as the AIDS epidemic.
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Child Soldier (2011) in Los Angeles comments on the corruption of children's innocence and how weapons are found in the hands of children in war zones and violent places around the world.
Flying Balloon Girl (2005) on a wall on the West Bank in Israel conveys that numerous children are stuck in the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians and seek to fly away to freedom, like the girl in the mural.
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Keep Your Coins, I Want Change (2004) in Melbourne effectively calls for social change through a pun where change could mean both money and the resolving of issues. This mural is rumored to be by Banksy, but it could have been made by a different street artist.
Cave Painting Removal (2008) in London condemns people for erasing art.
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By displaying the lynching of a Klu Klux Klan member who in the past would be involved in lynching Black people, KKK (2008) in Birmingham, Alabama, critiques white supremacy and racism while raising awareness about the injustices Black people were victim to during the Jim Crow period. This mural was immediately painted over.
Much like prehistoric cave painters, Banksy uses the environment, specifically the flowers growing in a crevice, of Better Out Than In (2013) to create this artwork in Los Angeles.
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Female Muralists & Street Artists Like various other fields, the art world has been dominated by male artists. Since art is a public sphere job and women were confined to the private sphere, female artists were looked down upon. Thus, less female artists are recognized or well known throughout history. This chapter will celebrate the exceptional work of female muralists and street artists.
Check out an online gallery of the art pieces by female street artists by taking a picture of this QR code!
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The Guerrilla Girls The Guerrilla Girls are a group of anonymous feminists and artists from 1985 that wore gorilla masks to fight sexism and racism in various fields, especially the art world. Many of their posters and street art are critical of the lack of female representation in the arts.
Do women have to be naked to get Into the Met. Museum? (1989) was first on a billboard for the New York Public Art Fund (PAF). By covering Jean-AugustDominique Ingres's La Grande Odalisque, one of the most famous nude artworks, with a gorilla mask, the group is critiquing the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gender bias. This poster has been repurposed many times to comment on gender inequality in other fields.
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Lady Pink Lady Pink, or Sandra Fabara, is an Ecuadorian-American muralist and graffiti artist who uses her art as resistance and to empower women. She is also known as the "first lady of graffiti" because she was one the first female graffiti artists active during NYC's subway graffiti movement in the 1980s.
9-11 Tribute (2001) honors the heroes during the September 11 attack in NYC.
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Swoon
Swoon, Caledonia Dance Curry, is a street artist who uses wheatpaste and paper cutouts to make her extraordinary murals. She has contributed greatly to the Pop Art movement and has art all over the world, including Iraq and Spain.
Tunisia, 2014
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Honolulu, Hawaii, 2014
Indonesia, 2015
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Lady Aiko Aiko Nakagawa, known as Lady Aiko in the art world, is one of the most prominent female street artists in this millennium. Since she is from Japan but is based in New York, she combines Eastern and Western artistic styles in her murals. Lady Aiko reflects her experiences as a Japanese woman in her work and often recognizes powerful women.
This mural depicts and honors Queen Lakshmibai, Jhansi ki Rani, one of the most revered and valiant warriors in Indian history. By displaying a strong, heroic woman in New Delhi, India, Lady Aiko is portraying the power of women and reminding people that women should be treated with respect and not abused.
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Rae Senarighi
Rae Senarighi, a non-binary transgender muralist, uses abstractionism, vivid colors, and muralism in his portrait series, TRANSCEND, to celebrate the LGBT+ community and inspiring, courageuous LGBT+ members who are open about their sexual orientation.
This mural (2017) at the PCC LGBT Center commemorates important figures and celebrities in the LGBT+ community,
Bayard Rustin (2017) is a Liberation Mural Portrait of Bayard Rustin, an American civil rights leader who was gay and advocated for gay rights.
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The US-Mexico Border
Combating the division and hatred fueled by President Trump's anti-immigration and nationalist policies, muralists are painting a mile-long mural on the Mexican side of the wall separating the US-Mexico border. Enrique Chiu is an artist who created "The Mural of Brotherhood" project in 2016, getting both American and Mexican muralists involved. With the assistance of 2,600 volunteer artists, Chiu hopes, through these murals, to morph these dividers into symbols of love and unity. He plans on painting murals for 600 miles to make the longest mural in the world.
"The Mural of Brotherhood" paintingsÂ
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Mexican and American artists painting the border of US and Mexico.
Murals fill 1.3 miles of the US-Mexico border fence.
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5 Pointz Controversy
In the early 1970s, Jerry Wolkoff, a developer, bought a property 45-46 Davis Street in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. Wolkoff leased the space to various artists. Eventually, the exterior of the entire building was filled with murals, gaining worldwide recognition. The name 5 Pointz refers to the union of the five boroughs of New York City, The building also housed 200 art studios. In 2013, Wolkoff decided to replace 5 Pointz with a residence space, whitewashing the murals without any notice to the artists. This act led to protests and the artists filed a lawsuit against Wolkoff. Even though the building was demolished in 2014, the 21 artists obtained $6.7 million in damages in 2018.
5 Pointz Building
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San Francisco School Controversy
George Washington High School in San Francisco contains WPA-commissioned murals (1935-1936), created by Russian immigrant and artist Victor Arnautoff, depicting American colonization and exploitation of slaves and Native Americans. They portray George Washington, the revered first president, owning slaves, slaves working continuously, and disputes between white Americans and Native Americans. These controversial murals were currently discussed as school officials and local lawmakers decided whether to preserve them or not. While these murals critique the inhumanity and hypocrisy of George Washington, they also remind students of color of the oppression their ancestors faced and the racism they continue to encounter. In 2019, lawmakers voted to paint over the murals with paintings that show "the heroism of people of color in America," according to the school board president.
San Francisco school murals (1935-1936)
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The Author's Art
Drowning in High School (2020) expresses how overwhelmed high school students feel by their homework and the standardized tests they need to complete for school and to apply to college. The mural critiques the competitive college process and school's interminable distribution of anxiety-prompting assignments and examinations to students.
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Bibliography
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