Murals: uplifting or downgrading?
May 31, 2011 11:49 AM Subscribe
Outdoor murals: for or against?
The beautification committee in my town has proposed hiring an artist to paint a mural along a new highway underpass. My first reactions were highly negative: it'll be ugly, it will attract graffiti, it connotes urban decay where there is none, it will cost a lot to maintain.
But I've been looking around for others who share that reaction, and I've had trouble finding them. Instead, I see lots of articles (and even books) about how a community mural can express a shared identity or history, or illuminate an important moment in local history.
Help me make my case, or argue the other point! Some suggestions:
The beautification committee in my town has proposed hiring an artist to paint a mural along a new highway underpass. My first reactions were highly negative: it'll be ugly, it will attract graffiti, it connotes urban decay where there is none, it will cost a lot to maintain.
But I've been looking around for others who share that reaction, and I've had trouble finding them. Instead, I see lots of articles (and even books) about how a community mural can express a shared identity or history, or illuminate an important moment in local history.
Help me make my case, or argue the other point! Some suggestions:
- What public processes can help insure the mural reflects durable community values?
- The artist who has been chosen does not seem to have any experience beyond studio painting and apparel graphics. Is that important? How do we make sure he's prepared for outdoor, large-scale art?
- How important is it for community art to also be good art?
- What will it take to maintain a mural against normal wear and graffiti?
Does the area already attract graffiti? The general consensus seems to be that murals deter graffiti in general. After all, why tag in a spot that your tag won't be visible? Graffiti is less visible against a highly colorful and varied background.
posted by amanda at 11:58 AM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by amanda at 11:58 AM on May 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well first, I'm glad you're being open-minded about this and are interested in doing the research and not just rejecting it out of hand. Personally, I'd look at it this way: right now you have a big ugly highway underpass. In the worst case, you'll wind up with a big ugly highway underpass covered with unattractive public art. Not really a big loss. In the best case, you'll wind up with an awesome mural that everyone can enjoy for ages. Seems to me that the upside is rather positive and the potential downside isn't really worse than what you have now.
I'm not sure how a mural connotes urban decay when there is none. To me, a mural says "people care about this space and went through a lot of effort to make art here." I suppose this could be a problem if your mural outright looks like urban decay, but most murals are rather bright and upbeat, and there's no reason yours couldn't be.
I would certainly want to ensure the artist has some idea what he's getting into and knows what materials to use to keep the mural as maintainable as possible. There ought to be books on the subject, and perhaps you can bring in another artist with more mural experience as a consultant for a few hours to help in this area.
posted by zachlipton at 12:06 PM on May 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure how a mural connotes urban decay when there is none. To me, a mural says "people care about this space and went through a lot of effort to make art here." I suppose this could be a problem if your mural outright looks like urban decay, but most murals are rather bright and upbeat, and there's no reason yours couldn't be.
I would certainly want to ensure the artist has some idea what he's getting into and knows what materials to use to keep the mural as maintainable as possible. There ought to be books on the subject, and perhaps you can bring in another artist with more mural experience as a consultant for a few hours to help in this area.
posted by zachlipton at 12:06 PM on May 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
In New Rochelle, New York in 1998, the city erected a mural made by middle school students, Hands Across the Bridge. It was meant to deter graffiti in an area previously riddled with it, because no one would want to deface a bridge decorated by at-risk youth. I know there were a few problems -- mainly that the ceramic (?) tiles were prone to breakage. But the concept worked out, and I remember crossing that bridge quite a few times over the years and marveling at how there was no graffiti (at least not on the upper part, where the art was).
Part of what might have made Hands Across the Bridge effective was the fact that the community made the art and so there was a shared feeling of protectiveness toward it.
Ron Mineo was the artist who worked with the kids of New Rochelle on that particular project, and you can find more information about him and the public projects he does here.
posted by brina at 12:08 PM on May 31, 2011
Part of what might have made Hands Across the Bridge effective was the fact that the community made the art and so there was a shared feeling of protectiveness toward it.
Ron Mineo was the artist who worked with the kids of New Rochelle on that particular project, and you can find more information about him and the public projects he does here.
posted by brina at 12:08 PM on May 31, 2011
For the last year I've walked on that underpass twice a week, going from the BackBay-Providence commuter rail to the GATRA bus.
I don't live in Mansfield, so I can't tell you what's good for the community, but as a pedestrian, it just looked like an ugly concrete plop. As most people will drive by, maybe simple decorative would be more appropriate than a complicated mural. But the only thing worse than the present concrete is graffiti.
(It was really weird to click to the Sun Chronicle story, see the picture, and realize "Hey, I know exactly where that is!")
posted by benito.strauss at 12:08 PM on May 31, 2011
I don't live in Mansfield, so I can't tell you what's good for the community, but as a pedestrian, it just looked like an ugly concrete plop. As most people will drive by, maybe simple decorative would be more appropriate than a complicated mural. But the only thing worse than the present concrete is graffiti.
(It was really weird to click to the Sun Chronicle story, see the picture, and realize "Hey, I know exactly where that is!")
posted by benito.strauss at 12:08 PM on May 31, 2011
Murals are awesome. It makes me happy every time I see one. I used to live in Pilsen here in Chicago, which has some really fantastic ones. If there was a lot of graffiti in the neighborhood, I just didn't notice it. There were too many good things to look at. Now I live on the northwest side where there are fewer pretty things printed on walls and it makes me sad. And every graffiti tagging sticks out like a sore thumb.
As with any art, there are going to be some people that love it and some people that hate it. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say anything bad about a mural, though, unless it was to chuckle at the subject matter. Like with this one that I used to pass a lot. I don't know any of the story behind it, but the inexplicable smirking cowboy always makes me laugh.
If the subject of the mural depicts some sort of cultural history of your area, you might want to include a small plaque near it explaining it, since knowing about cultural history is nice.
posted by phunniemee at 12:10 PM on May 31, 2011
As with any art, there are going to be some people that love it and some people that hate it. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say anything bad about a mural, though, unless it was to chuckle at the subject matter. Like with this one that I used to pass a lot. I don't know any of the story behind it, but the inexplicable smirking cowboy always makes me laugh.
If the subject of the mural depicts some sort of cultural history of your area, you might want to include a small plaque near it explaining it, since knowing about cultural history is nice.
posted by phunniemee at 12:10 PM on May 31, 2011
it connotes urban decay
I'd like to hear more about this theory. I have had only really positive reactions to outdoor murals (even the really ugly ones), mainly because they tell you something about the people in the area. They represent civic pride.
posted by hermitosis at 12:13 PM on May 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
I'd like to hear more about this theory. I have had only really positive reactions to outdoor murals (even the really ugly ones), mainly because they tell you something about the people in the area. They represent civic pride.
posted by hermitosis at 12:13 PM on May 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
I noticed that you mentioned graffiti in your post. I immediately thought of an excellent recent article by Heather Mac Donald in City Journal about graffiti.
Is this what you're worried about -- that the community is celebrating something it shouldn't, out of a misguided "anti-capitalist" or maybe social-worker mentality?
The obvious distinctions come to mind -- the mural will be commissioned by the city, itself, it's not illegal, there will be community feedback on what it will depict, murals arguably deter graffiti, etc.
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 12:18 PM on May 31, 2011
Is this what you're worried about -- that the community is celebrating something it shouldn't, out of a misguided "anti-capitalist" or maybe social-worker mentality?
The obvious distinctions come to mind -- the mural will be commissioned by the city, itself, it's not illegal, there will be community feedback on what it will depict, murals arguably deter graffiti, etc.
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 12:18 PM on May 31, 2011
it connotes urban decay
I find this interesting, because I live in a city (Philadelphia) that's got a huge mural arts program; we slap 'em on every flat surface that'll sit still long enough. Overlooking parking lots, next to empty lots, on overpasses, on the concrete supports for highways, you name it, we're painting it. Now, not everyone likes them, and certainly not everyone likes every single one, but as a rule, it's quite popular and seen as a very positive thing for the city. And I don't think I've ever seen one tagged - as amanda points out, they deter graffiti, and in fact Philly's began as an anti-graffiti measure.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:21 PM on May 31, 2011
I find this interesting, because I live in a city (Philadelphia) that's got a huge mural arts program; we slap 'em on every flat surface that'll sit still long enough. Overlooking parking lots, next to empty lots, on overpasses, on the concrete supports for highways, you name it, we're painting it. Now, not everyone likes them, and certainly not everyone likes every single one, but as a rule, it's quite popular and seen as a very positive thing for the city. And I don't think I've ever seen one tagged - as amanda points out, they deter graffiti, and in fact Philly's began as an anti-graffiti measure.
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:21 PM on May 31, 2011
My city just embarked on a new program to paint murals. The first one is in my neighborhood. This first example of community art is very simple and not very "arty" in my opinion, but instead seems very approachable. This first one seems to be very accessible, and we see folks all the time taking pictures in front of it. It is open and low to the ground, and we've had no graffiti issues so far.
posted by raisingsand at 12:29 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by raisingsand at 12:29 PM on May 31, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the replies and keep 'em coming!
Hermitosis and zachlipton, often when I read about why people are painting murals, it has to do with wanting to cover up graffiti or to address a community's low self-esteem, which are issues I associate with urban decay. Examples:
Boston Youth Fund Mural Crew: "The main goal of this newly established program was to eradicate the graffiti problem that was taking over Codman Square in Dorchester."
Philadelphia (as Tomorrowful observed): "The Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, an effort spearheaded by then Mayor Wilson Goode to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city."
NYC: "Groundswell Community Mural Project brings together artists, youth, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change. Our projects beautify neighborhoods, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue"
The beautification function of murals seems to vie with cultural celebration as the most common reason for a mural. I also fully admit that I come at this as someone who was raised in (and still lives in) relatively afflluent suburbs, and I think the lack of murals in those places has become part of my perception of what a mural means.
posted by underthehat at 12:33 PM on May 31, 2011
Hermitosis and zachlipton, often when I read about why people are painting murals, it has to do with wanting to cover up graffiti or to address a community's low self-esteem, which are issues I associate with urban decay. Examples:
Boston Youth Fund Mural Crew: "The main goal of this newly established program was to eradicate the graffiti problem that was taking over Codman Square in Dorchester."
Philadelphia (as Tomorrowful observed): "The Mural Arts Program began in 1984 as a component of the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, an effort spearheaded by then Mayor Wilson Goode to eradicate the graffiti crisis plaguing the city."
NYC: "Groundswell Community Mural Project brings together artists, youth, and community organizations to use art as a tool for social change. Our projects beautify neighborhoods, engage youth in societal and personal transformation, and give expression to ideas and perspectives that are underrepresented in the public dialogue"
The beautification function of murals seems to vie with cultural celebration as the most common reason for a mural. I also fully admit that I come at this as someone who was raised in (and still lives in) relatively afflluent suburbs, and I think the lack of murals in those places has become part of my perception of what a mural means.
posted by underthehat at 12:33 PM on May 31, 2011
underthehat, you might want to describe what kind of city Mansfield is. I don't think comparisons to Chicago or Philadelphia are going to be all that valid.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:35 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by benito.strauss at 12:35 PM on May 31, 2011
Oh, I see you just did.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:37 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by benito.strauss at 12:37 PM on May 31, 2011
How about something more basic that the graffiti can easily be covered up as well if it appears?
You could even turn it into an annual art event or something to attract the kids and family as an unusual outing.
posted by emjay at 12:56 PM on May 31, 2011
You could even turn it into an annual art event or something to attract the kids and family as an unusual outing.
posted by emjay at 12:56 PM on May 31, 2011
Well, my mother was not even a professional artist, and she was in charge of painting a barn mural under a state arts grant in the 1970s. (I'll look for a photo.) I thought it was a wonderful celebration of our area's circus-related history. Alas, the mural caused too much photobug interest for the then-owners, and as soon as the agreement ended, they painted the whole thing over! (At least one other mural from the same program is still around today.) In my general experience, a mural that stays up needs a touch-up treatment every 3-5 years or so, but often they don't get that, and that may not help your prejudices against the sense of urban decay.
My city (same one the barn is outside of) also had a professional artist design a series of history-themed "murals" (technically they are vinyl banners). I think they're just dandy (if a bit mediocre artistically) and dress up the downtown a little. We're a standalone city of 60,000 (a bit over twice your size). We don't have any freeway art, but we do have a few other art projects.
It looks like this is the underpass. Personally, I'd like to see public art than a lot of concrete in the middle of my town.
It may comfort you to know that even very progressive places like Madison, Wisconsin can have controversy over a mural.
Look, the idea that you seem to have that murals have to be some sort of populist, lefty power-to-the-people, rainbow coalition thing is not some sort of requirement. Mansfield can come up with its own values to reflect. Something simple, decorative, and even tasteful is certainly possible. In fact, this is happening more and more as more highways get built alongside or leading to affluent communities. Many freeways now have ginormous sound-suppression walls that beg for a handsome treatment, either using nicer materials or actually being decorated with a pattern or artwork. You might find something more to your liking if you google the term "freeway art". If you ask me, abstract flowers and so on speak more to the "mall" esthetic than anything else, but at least they're not blank concrete.
posted by dhartung at 12:59 PM on May 31, 2011
My city (same one the barn is outside of) also had a professional artist design a series of history-themed "murals" (technically they are vinyl banners). I think they're just dandy (if a bit mediocre artistically) and dress up the downtown a little. We're a standalone city of 60,000 (a bit over twice your size). We don't have any freeway art, but we do have a few other art projects.
It looks like this is the underpass. Personally, I'd like to see public art than a lot of concrete in the middle of my town.
It may comfort you to know that even very progressive places like Madison, Wisconsin can have controversy over a mural.
Look, the idea that you seem to have that murals have to be some sort of populist, lefty power-to-the-people, rainbow coalition thing is not some sort of requirement. Mansfield can come up with its own values to reflect. Something simple, decorative, and even tasteful is certainly possible. In fact, this is happening more and more as more highways get built alongside or leading to affluent communities. Many freeways now have ginormous sound-suppression walls that beg for a handsome treatment, either using nicer materials or actually being decorated with a pattern or artwork. You might find something more to your liking if you google the term "freeway art". If you ask me, abstract flowers and so on speak more to the "mall" esthetic than anything else, but at least they're not blank concrete.
posted by dhartung at 12:59 PM on May 31, 2011
The Murals of Winnipeg
As you can see from that site, we have a lot of murals in this city, and honestly most folks are proud of them.
My neighbourhood in particular has a lot of murals / "nice" grafitti and I love it. It really beautifies the neighbourhood and adds a lot of personality and diversity.
posted by utsutsu at 1:23 PM on May 31, 2011
As you can see from that site, we have a lot of murals in this city, and honestly most folks are proud of them.
My neighbourhood in particular has a lot of murals / "nice" grafitti and I love it. It really beautifies the neighbourhood and adds a lot of personality and diversity.
posted by utsutsu at 1:23 PM on May 31, 2011
Response by poster: I'm left-wing enough that I don't have a problem with peace, love, and brotherhood. In fact, I think our Scott-Brown-voting town maybe could use a little more of it. My concerns tend to be more about taste and practicality. I'm really worried that the town will endorse something that's tacky, poorly designed, and poorly applied, and then won't have the money to maintain it so that in a couple of years it will be fading or flaking and no longer something to be proud of (at which point the graffiti, if it ever left, will return). I think having a simple, blank wall would be better than that in the long run.
posted by underthehat at 1:25 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by underthehat at 1:25 PM on May 31, 2011
As far as maintenance against graffiti, there's a fairly cheap spray lacquer that prevents paints from adhering over it (unless the taggers want to pre-prime the area, which seems a little involved). It's also something where you can think about the ongoing maintenance costs now and budget for it in years to come.
Murals can be attractive or ugly — that's something that comes down to the artist(s) and design.
But one of the things I really like about living in LA is that we have so many murals, official and unofficial, all over the city. It's really cool to see them all over, and it's a really popular, democratic art form.
posted by klangklangston at 1:29 PM on May 31, 2011
Murals can be attractive or ugly — that's something that comes down to the artist(s) and design.
But one of the things I really like about living in LA is that we have so many murals, official and unofficial, all over the city. It's really cool to see them all over, and it's a really popular, democratic art form.
posted by klangklangston at 1:29 PM on May 31, 2011
I love murals, and I love public art. The key is that they have to be fun, upbeat and clear. I like a number of the ones in Joliet, IL.
Public art shouldn't make people feel uncomfortable or negatively challenged.
(Public meaning on infrastructure or government property. Display whatever you want on the side of your own building.)
posted by gjc at 2:24 PM on May 31, 2011
Public art shouldn't make people feel uncomfortable or negatively challenged.
(Public meaning on infrastructure or government property. Display whatever you want on the side of your own building.)
posted by gjc at 2:24 PM on May 31, 2011
One of the many things I love about Pittsburgh is our murals. They're true works of art, representative either of our city or that particular neighborhood, provide inspiration and often are uplifting in an otherwise industrial atmosphere. That is a link to the murals proper, but you might want to poke around the larger site to answer some of your other concerns...
posted by librarianamy at 2:33 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by librarianamy at 2:33 PM on May 31, 2011
I was part of a youth mural project in a small town during my childhood. Now I live in a city full of murals. It genuinely never occured to me that someone could dislike murals--I'm delighted every time I come across a mural, even if it's not to my taste artistically.
Not all murals are political. This guy was my teacher for the youth mural program. His work is playful, fun, and sometimes relevant to the community or business it's painted on. None of it could be construed as political.
posted by mollymayhem at 2:42 PM on May 31, 2011
Not all murals are political. This guy was my teacher for the youth mural program. His work is playful, fun, and sometimes relevant to the community or business it's painted on. None of it could be construed as political.
posted by mollymayhem at 2:42 PM on May 31, 2011
Some of the murals are not painted directly on the walls but on large pieces of parachute cloth which are then hung. This would allow the mural to be painted any time and in any weather and would also allow the community to see the image before it went up.
How they do it in Philly.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:50 PM on May 31, 2011
How they do it in Philly.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:50 PM on May 31, 2011
I'm left-wing enough that I don't have a problem with peace, love, and brotherhood. In fact, I think our Scott-Brown-voting town maybe could use a little more of it. My concerns tend to be more about taste and practicality.
This is true about any public art. In fact, I'd regard the fact that your town retained a non-mural-painting artist as a plus, not a minus. There's a certain genre of "urban mural" style (you'd recognize it: prominent sun, members of "the community" all smiling, etc.) that seems to connote, "I know this neighborhood looks terrible, but it's full of happy people from all walks of life, really!" which in my mind looks dated and tacky. So, yes, taste is a concern. Practicality? It strikes me as very practical-- blank spaces like this were meant to be filled in. (really, aesthetically speaking, what's more downgrading than an ugly overpass and concrete walls?)
Here's my advice: if you're arguing for, argue because it makes your town more colorful, more distinctive. From driving by that highway regularly, people will begin to think, "hey, Mansfield is the town with that colorful mural!" If you're arguing against, make the argument that the mural just isn't necessary and not enough thought about aesthetics are being put into it because the mural committee is spending too much time wondering about, "how we can have a mural which reflects our community's history?"
posted by deanc at 3:22 PM on May 31, 2011
This is true about any public art. In fact, I'd regard the fact that your town retained a non-mural-painting artist as a plus, not a minus. There's a certain genre of "urban mural" style (you'd recognize it: prominent sun, members of "the community" all smiling, etc.) that seems to connote, "I know this neighborhood looks terrible, but it's full of happy people from all walks of life, really!" which in my mind looks dated and tacky. So, yes, taste is a concern. Practicality? It strikes me as very practical-- blank spaces like this were meant to be filled in. (really, aesthetically speaking, what's more downgrading than an ugly overpass and concrete walls?)
Here's my advice: if you're arguing for, argue because it makes your town more colorful, more distinctive. From driving by that highway regularly, people will begin to think, "hey, Mansfield is the town with that colorful mural!" If you're arguing against, make the argument that the mural just isn't necessary and not enough thought about aesthetics are being put into it because the mural committee is spending too much time wondering about, "how we can have a mural which reflects our community's history?"
posted by deanc at 3:22 PM on May 31, 2011
Done right, public murals can be really wonderful, and even inspiring. Some of my favorites are the "Whaling Walls" of Robert Wyland (I first encountered one in Portland, Maine at the Maine State Pier).
posted by gudrun at 7:36 PM on May 31, 2011
posted by gudrun at 7:36 PM on May 31, 2011
Gainesville, FL has a number of public murals, under overpasses and so on (for example; even the supporting columns are painted). They're generally alligator focused (what with having the "Gator" university in town), with watery/swamp-y/rainforest-y themes and they're beautifully done. I never see them painted over with other graffiti, but it might be that it happens and I just never see it.
There's also a public graffiti wall where anyone can paint over a section and put up their own art. I don't know how well this reduces the tendency to want to put graffiti in unauthorized places. I went looking for data but couldn't find anything on it. Locals seem to think it helps.
Generally, my observation of public murals is positive. I think they're beautiful and attractive, they seem like they're reducing unappealing graffiti, people seem to like them.
posted by galadriel at 8:13 PM on May 31, 2011
There's also a public graffiti wall where anyone can paint over a section and put up their own art. I don't know how well this reduces the tendency to want to put graffiti in unauthorized places. I went looking for data but couldn't find anything on it. Locals seem to think it helps.
Generally, my observation of public murals is positive. I think they're beautiful and attractive, they seem like they're reducing unappealing graffiti, people seem to like them.
posted by galadriel at 8:13 PM on May 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rtha at 11:54 AM on May 31, 2011