My many years in Brooklyn gave me the opportunity to take in my fair share of graffiti. Some made my jaw drop with its bold colors and audacity. How the artists managed to pull off such artistry hanging from unbelievable heights under the cover of darkness amazed me. Others seemed like mere acts of vandalism.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that this Senior Ripper is interested in murals. The city of brotherly love, Philly, is known for its murals. I couldn’t get enough of them. Be sure to pick up the walking tour guide when you next visit. But still the mystery of how you pull off art on such a grand scale kept me scratching my head.
Fast forward to this past spring when the local arts council commissioned a mural on its nondescript public works building, which faces a busy highway. The artist hailed from Argentina and was known for involving the community in both the design and the painting of the mural. I was in!
My fellow ripper accompanied me to the introductory meeting. Our artist explained his process and the local committee lined up people to participate. His trusty bike was his transport between appointments so that he could soak up the landscape and the history of the region on his own time. Two weeks later, we jumped aboard our own bikes and hit the rail trail (previously mentioned in an earlier post) to see art in the making.
Much to my surprise, this muralist works exclusively with spray paint, much like my graffiti heroes. He outlined his subjects in black and then welcomed others to fill the life size figures with color. When we stopped asking him questions and left him to his work, a group of middle schoolers arrived to lend him a hand. The finished project is magnificent, a testament to the community’s indigenous origins, the arrival of trains, and a ranching tradition that continues today.
A lightbulb went off this morning when I realized that this fascination with large scale art was what led two rippers to breakfast beneath the Courthouse Wash Panel of rock art facing the mighty Colorado River in Moab. Not as well known as the red rock monuments in the area, rock art abounds. A local guidebook led us to four rock faces covered with anthropomorphic figures, animals, and map like shapes. The simplicity of the design belies the hard work that went into grinding colors and chiseling into stone.
It makes me smile to think about both the motivation and the creativity of these artists from such different times. May they continue to dazzle others for years to come! Does your community support public art? Let us know!
Keep moving, stay safe, have fun!
Here in Jefferson Iowa, we have a bell tower with an observation deck on the town square. You can ride up to the top and see the town. Artists have painted some of the rooftops and the only way to see them is from the bell tower. Here’s a link: https://jeffersonmatters.org/roof-top-art-of-jefferson/. We also have “alleys” leading onto the square on three sides that have been repurposed with sculpture and benches for pedestrians.
Just got back from the Dordogne region of France yesterday where we visited prehistoric cave paintings from 20,000 years ago! This idea of public art has been with us for a long time! It was beautiful and fascinating.
Google Lascaux cave paintings