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Liberation Nation
The composition is clearly separated in two parts, contained on the two walls of the building. There are four main objects depicted, two plants and two animals. The colors on the Palestinian flag carried by the gazelle are a direct match with those of the leaves, petals, and center of the flower on the right. The form of the gazelle is smooth and elegant, with its head held high. The ibex appears more rough and rugged. The scale of the flower is much larger than it realistically would be, drawing attention to it and establishing it as being equally important as the other objects. A black line is drawn around the figures of the gazelle, ibex, and flower petals to clearly define their shape. The sense of pictorial space is divided into layers, created by the way the objects sit on top of each other. The two animals and plants lie in the foreground, just in front of the background of the brown ground. Then, far in the distance the sun shines over the horizon. The flag begins at the foreground and trails all the way into the background, before changing its colors and running up and away. Light is used only to show the shadows on the animals and shading on the flower. There is not a global illumination direction casting shadows on the ground. The variance in tone in the mural is used to show complex shading, especially on the stem of the flower. It is also used to shade the legs of the animals which are farther into the background. The flag's retreat into the background is shown by a pattern, where the same three stripes are repeated at a shifted vertical level to convey the idea of a fold. There are clear differences in the texture of the different objects in the mural. The gazelle is perfectly smooth, while the ibex has a few shades showing muscles. The cactus is covered in barbs and flowers, giving it a very rough texture. The petals on the flower are folded over each other and a bit wrinkled as well. -
At the Center of your Being
At the Center of Your Being by Taylor Berman is a mural that explores the themes of interconnectedness and personal growth through symbolic imagery. The focal point of the piece is a large bear, which stands at the center and represents inner strength and self-reflection. The bear’s dark black color, with subtle hints of navy blue, emphasizes its solid, grounded presence. Surrounding the bear are vibrant fish, painted in warm ochre tones of dark brown and terracotta which swirl in fluid motion. These fish represent the external forces like relationships, experiences, and the flow of life that shape and influence one's journey. The movement of the fish follows an invisible path that symbolizing the continuous flow of life and the interconnectedness of everything.
On the left side of the mural, an orb painted in colors like the fish, earthy hues serves as a visual connector between the grounded bear and the swimming fish. The orb helps tie these elements together and creates a sense of unity. On either side of the mural, a large human head frames the scene. Painted in varying shades of blue, the head recedes into the background, suggesting that the mind, while important, takes a backseat to the forces of nature and self-reflection that shape our experiences.
The mural's color palette creates a peaceful and balanced atmosphere. The earthy ochre of the fish contrasts with the deep blacks and navy blues of the bear, creating a harmonious balance between warmth and depth. The shades of blue used for the head and background provide a calm, serene backdrop that allows the bear and fish to stand out. The orb, painted in a similar ochre tone as the fish, contrasts gently with the surrounding elements, creating visual harmony and guiding the viewer's eye across the piece.
The lines in the mural are fluid and dynamic, with bold, sweeping curves that convey a sense of energy and motion, especially around the bear and fish. The finer lines add subtle details, such as shading and texture, providing depth to the piece. The rough texture of the brick wall adds a tactile quality to the mural, creating a contrast between the smooth paint and the physical surface, which helps to integrate the artwork with its environment.
The space within the mural is thoughtfully organized to create depth and movement. The bear, placed in the foreground, serves as the anchor of the composition, while the fish swirl in the middle ground, following the orb’s path. The orb acts as a connector, bringing together the natural and self-reflective elements of the piece. Though the human head is large, it remains in the background, reinforcing the idea that the mind, while important, is secondary to the more primal forces of nature and self-discovery. The arrangement of these elements creates a sense of flow and connection, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the relationships between nature, self, and the forces that shape our lives. -
Behind Flavors
The composition of this mural is unique from a lot of murals because of the layout of its subjects. In regards to balance and symmetry, this mural is quite interesting because the subjects of the piece (i.e., the bee, the butterfly, the flower, etc.) are not perfectly in line. The subjects are all off center and most of them are only partially seen, as some of the images are cut off or are not seen completely. For example, as you can see the pink flower is mostly seen, but part of the top and bottom petals get cut off from the mural. I found this to be interesting given that there are multiple different subjects of this mural. This also makes the focal points quite interesting because there are multiple and not just one subject that takes all the focus, all of the subjects have their own focus within the mural. The color palette used is one of a mix of bright and bold colors and then darker colors mostly used for outlining purposes. As you can see, subjects like the cherries, the flowers, the butterfly, etc. are all created using bright and bold reds, blues, pinks, purples, etc. On the other hand, however, the insects in the mural have some darker colors such as black and brown. All of the subjects of this mural have some sort of outline in black, which only makes the other colors seem more bright and bolder. It creates a contrast that makes the mural and its aspects stand out that much more. The colors used in this mural enhance the mood and tone because of the color choice that was utilized and the outline of black. These two aspects make the mural pop and stand out to people who are passing by. It creates a tone of positivity because of the bright colors that were used and the subjects that were used. Lynda Grafito all different types of lines in this mural to enhance the shape of the subjects. Grafito utilizes some straight lines and a lot of curved lines to create the flowers, the insects, etc. All of these lines vary in thinness and thickness. The thinness or thickness of the lines depends on which subject they are used in and how bold Grafito wanted the black outline to be. These lines help to create an emphasis on the color, given that the black paint is very contrasting to a lot of the bright colors, like the yellow paint used. The impact these lines have is that it makes the mural much more bold and they make it pop more due to the contrast between the lines and what it is they are outlining. There are also lines within the subjects, like in the body of the blue butterfly. These lines help to make the subjects more realistic and add so much to the dimension of the flowers, insects, etc. The mural’s texture was very bumpy, as that is the texture of the wall it is painted on, but the texture is also enhanced by the color variation and blending. The texture enhances the view of the mural for the people who see it because it contributes to making it more noticeable and catching peoples’ eyes. The texture helps to bring out the color and shape of the subjects of this mural. The background of this mural is a solid grey-blue color which helps to bring out the rest of the spaces that are meant to be the subject of the mural. The space used for the subject is the center of the mural and takes up the middle ground and almost the entirety of the space as some of the subjects get cut off, as mentioned previously. This creates both depth and dimension for the subjects of the mural as it makes them appear to have more shadow and uses lighter colors to show that.