Browse Items (42 total)
-
Dakȟóta Ancestors
The mural Dakȟóta Ancestors by Danielle SeeWalker is a representation of Native American culture and heritage. The composition of the mural is centered around two female figures who represent the ancestors of the Dakota people. The side profiles of the women are depicted from their upper chest to head. This emphasizes how the women are turned to face each other, and most likely gazing at each other. Surrounding them are various Dakota floral designs. When the mural is split vertically, it reveals a symmetrical structure, with a large floral piece at the center and each woman positioned on opposite sides. Another smaller floral design is placed next to each figure, balancing the overall composition. Furthermore, each floral design is vertically symmetrical, contributing to the harmony of the mural.
The color palette in the mural is bold and highly saturated utilizing a vibrant array of colors. SeeWalker incorporates a large spectrum of colors, from the bright green of the older woman’s garment to the grey of her hair. The younger woman is shown in a purple top with black hair. The surrounding floral designs feature a variety of bright colors, each unique in tone, which highlights their individuality. By choosing bold, rich colors rather than the stereotypical palette often associated with Native American art, SeeWalker conveys a sense of strength and pride in the heritage of the Dakhota people. There is no shading in this mural. This deliberate absence of shading might serve to strengthen the visual impact of the piece, allowing each section to stand out. Each color is separated by strong black outlines, which help define the individual elements and add clarity to the composition.In terms of line, SeeWalker uses thick black lines throughout the mural, with a predominance of curved shapes. Most of the floral elements are composed of curves that converge to form pointed tips, with circles at the center of each flower. The women themselves are framed by curved lines, and their braided hair is depicted with small, repetitive curves that flow inward to the middle floral piece. This curving pattern guides the viewer’s eye through the mural, creating a sense of movement and unity. The only straight lines in the mural appear in the earrings of the figures, which are triangular in shape and filled with four smaller white triangles, adding a sharp contrast to the other organic forms. Within the earrings, there are lines of various colors that serve as a background to the white triangles. Additionally, it is also important to note the absence of some lines. There are no lines to define the features of the women’s faces.
Texture is minimal in the mural, as the focus is placed on the clarity of shapes and the relationship between the figures and the surrounding elements. The smooth surface of the brick wall allows the paint to appear flat and uninterrupted. However, the patterned circles on the women’s garments may suggest beading or decorative embellishment, subtly introducing a sense of texture through design rather than surface variation. Regarding space, SeeWalker uses the negative space around the women as a background to highlight the main focus, which is the ancestral women and the floral. The dark gray background allows the colors of the mural to pop out. Additionally, there is no overlapping between the women and the florals, which keeps each element distinct and separate, further highlighting the importance for both the figures and the floral designs. Overall, the mural's composition, color, line, and space work well to convey a sense of ancestral and cultural pride, inviting viewers to reflect on the connection between the Dakota people and their heritage.
-
Coming Home
Coming Home is a vibrant and profoundly symbolic mural, as it explores the intricacies of immigration and the emotional voyage it entails for every individual involved. It illustrates two women from distinct cultures and ethnicities who are visually interconnected but divided by a symbolic line. An American woman representing established immigrant groups pauses in her warmly lit living room to observe through a telescope. Embellished with a log cabin quilt design variant, this environment represents stability and household tradition. Dressed in a vibrant yellow dress and bearing a suitcase, a younger woman from the Middle East enters an expansive blue space on the right, symbolizing the challenges and opportunities of new beginnings. Her background showcases a ten-pointed Islamic star, symbolic of Islamic art, representing her cultural origin. The mural is divided into two halves, each expressing a unique cultural and emotional place. The telescope bridges the division, a diagonal line that directs the viewer’s gaze throughout the mural, linking the two women visually and thematically. The positioning of the figures—one stationary and anchored in her surroundings, the other in motion—highlights difference while establishing balance, as they reflect each other’s dimensions and relevance. The geometric patterns behind the women offer structure and repetition, harmonizing with the organic curves of the figures and their attire. The color scheme enriches the narrative. Soft purples and yellows on the left imply warmth, nostalgia, and tradition. Conversely, cool blues adorn the right side, representing the unknown and the enormous possibilities of the immigrant experience. The vivid yellow of the traveling woman’s outfit symbolizes hope and optimism, but the complementary purple in the settled woman’s environment signifies reflection and stability. These complementary colors generate visual harmony, representing the potential for mutual enrichment via cultural interchange. The painting combines various straight and curved lines to direct the viewer's attention and foster dynamic interactions. The geometric designs—linear and angular on the left, complex and star-shaped on the right—represent the differing cultural heritages of the two women. The women's flowing hair and garment lines soften the composition, giving movement and vitality. The diagonal line of the telescope serves as a focal point, physically and thematically linking the two women, while the birds in the upper right corner direct the viewer’s gaze upward, suggesting independence and migration. The telescope indicates a purposeful endeavor to connect and understand beyond cultural boundaries, but the complementing colors of the women's attire imply harmony and the prospect of cultural synergy. The Arabic word "home" is engraved twice, emphasizing the common human desire for belonging. The depictions of Lady Liberty's head anchor the greater backdrop of immigration and the principles of liberty and opportunity, and the flock of birds in flight represents migration and aspiration. -
Flowers for the Friends who Picked Me Up
Composition: Looking at the composition of this mural, there are two larger than life looking figures. To take it all in, you need to look at this mural from a distance. The faces cover over half of the wall, but it’s important to note that their arms and hands also take up space in the middle. Both figures are holding hands showing a sign of unison. Looking at the higher portion of the piece we see a red bird placed between both of the figures. This bird must be important, since both eyes of the figures are fixated on it. The figures themselves compose nicely, there is a lot of curvature between the two bodies that makes the art flow in a good pattern. Color: The colors shown in this mural are very simple. All of the primary colors are being used in this mural. Both red and blue are repeated throughout the mural, and all three are used to create the color white used in the eyes. I was very struck at the bright blue faces of the figures at first glance. The figures are the only blue in this mural, there are also many white dots shown throughout the bodies, arm, face, and chest. All of the flowers, background, and flowers are painted red, and have glares of white in them to help provide texture. Line: Within this mural, there are many forms of lines. Looking at the figures, those lines have a lot more curvature than do the lines on the bird above them, where these lines are more sharp and jagged. This can also be seen with the flowers. The flowers have a mixture of curves coupled with pointy and jagged lines. Texture: There is a lot of smooth surfaces shown on the mural. This is greatly contrasted with the specks and dots shown in the mural as well. The wavy and pointy like end on the flowers also help provide texture throughout the mural. Space: First thing to look at, is how this is a 2-D surface, however the artist is creating an 3-D illusion. One thing to look at is the holding of hands in the middle, creating an overlap. There is also some shading on all of the figures. Looking at the faces and the bird in the middle, these figures are very bright to bring it closer to the surface. Looking at the bodies of the figures, they are darker, this helps show that they are farther from the surface. -
Untitled
This highly intricate and abstract style of graffiti is illustrated by interlocking letters, complex designs, and vibrant colors which to new viewers often making the text difficult to read, this is known as "Wildstyle". This mural is a remarkable piece of work and it was a very cool experience. The composition of the mural included a Wild style format along with random figures and white spray painted icons in the middle of the letters. Along with this, Smith utilized an array of colors much purple and warmer colors including orange and yellow. Complimented with the array of color palettes smith used several different shapes to make the complexation of the piece stand out. The brick texture of the mural also compliments the “Wildstyle” approach because it contributes to the urban appearance of the piece. This piece also took up the entirety of the side of the building making this a very large space that is taken up. This very much so made the piece more appealing to the people who are able to experience this form of art. Color: The mural features a vibrant array of colors, with a focus on purples, warm oranges, and yellows, creating a dynamic and eye-catching palette. Size: Spanning over the entire side of a building, the mural is massive in scale, making it both immersive and eye-catching. Depth: Smith incorporates intricate shapes, Wildstyle lettering, random figures, and spray-painted icons, layered over the brick texture to enhance the mural's complexity and urban aesthetic. -
La Cigarra
“La Cigarra” by Aaron Johnson-Ortiz is a beautiful mural placed in St. Paul’s Chroma Zone. It is comprised mainly of a set of hands holding a Cicada, as blue and yellow streamers flow away containing phrases in Spanish. On either side of the mural, which covers two adjacent sides of a gas-station building, lies a sun and a moon shown a bright yellow/orange color and cool blue, respectively.
The piece does not show much symmetry or patterns structurally but is very eye-catching in the sense of color use, shape and texture. The colors are bright and draw attention to key components of the piece. The text on the ribbons is a bit difficult to fully translate to English but can be roughly translated. The ribbons appear to read "Do not sing me songs of love, for I do not want to know what they are” and "Like a rumor that sneaks in, you go asking, 'Will I live?'"
Symmetry
The colors in this mural seem pastel-like, although many of the colors are lighter & bright. The brown hands, resembling a tree, holding the cicada, and green leaves behind are the main focus points of the mural, with the contrast between the hands and cicada drawing the viewer’s attention to the focal point of the piece. The mood and tone of this mural seem like they want to be more stable throughout most of the mural but with hints of inspiration and life stemming from the hands and cicada. The flowers also are different colors on each side, with the roses by the moon and a bright-pink flower by the sun. Many earth tones were used in this mural to show the nature aspect of the mural and components themselves. Line is the biggest component of this mural, where most of the composition of each shape is made of lines.
Color
The size of the lines mimic the size of the shape they compose, with very broad strokes being in the hands. These curves create a sense of organic movement, making the composition feel alive and interconnected.
Size
The lines give a sense of nature within the mural, the combination of the broad strokes and brown tint on the hands look similar to how the trunk of a tree is composed. Thick outlines around major components, such as the hands and moth, help define these focal points against the intricate background, adding depth and clarity. The texture in this mural is prominently seen through the brush strokes throughout each piece of the mural. Very broad strokes are noticed in the hands, where there are layered, shorter strokes in the sun, almost looking like Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”. The use of these lines and strokes are more seen in the “living” objects, whereas the ribbons look smoother.
Line
The artist uses the wall’s surface to create layers, with distinct foreground, middle ground, and background elements. The hands, moth, and ribbon are in the foreground, while the flowers and leaves serve as the middle ground. This layering allows for the mural to have a sense of depth and seem a lot larger than it actually is. The depth created by these layers enhances the three-dimensional environment, giving the viewer a sense of actual nature.
Depth -
Luna Llena
Inspired by Mexica and Maya works, Balam created "Luna Llena." His mural encompasses many skillful design techniques and elements that contribute to this design. Luna Llena also contains elements of modern art and design. Created in August 2024, this piece containing pre-Columbian Indigenous art draws on design elements from the era. It is in the St Paul “ChromaZone” at 711 Vandalia Street. The person depicted in this painting is Ix Chel, an ancient moon goddess. Surrounding her are rabbits, which are often associated with this figure. This figure is also reaching out their hands for corn, which also has a historical relevance to this painting. The lines used in this painting are mostly curved. They allow the viewers’ attention to be directed around the mural without specific elements standing out more than others. In the symbol behind the figure, all of the lines are curved, with each side going into a “spiral.” With the lines not being straight and sharp, it allows for a softer image. Looking at the symbol behind the figure, the curved lines that form a semi-circle around the figure are used to bring the eyes of the viewer to the figure. This line direction is also used to signal the viewer where to look. Seen on the headpiece of the figure, there are more lines going horizontally than vertically, which leads the viewer to look left-to-right, drawing attention to the hands. Additional lines are used in this mural to make the goddess figure stand out. The entire figure is surrounded by a thin purple and yellow line that separates the figure from the background. It also gives it more of a 3-dimensional appearance. The symmetry in this mural is well done; the elements on each side of the mural give the mural balance. This is seen with the hand reaching out for the corn on the right and the headpiece reaching out on the left. This is also seen at the top, with the background symbol extending to both the left and right sides of the painting. To add to this symmetry, each side is composed of horizontal lines that balance out the vertical lines on the top and bottom of the mural. The rabbits are also representative of these elements as there is one on each side, providing symmetry. However, one of these rabbits is a farther distance from the figure than the other. This helps focus the viewer’s attention on the focal point in the mural because the rabbit is located directly beneath it. The hand in this mural is the primary focal point. This hand is pictured to be facing palms-up while corn flows into it. There is a green bracelet around the wrist, which is bolded to make it stand out from the rest of the mural. This gesture being made by the goddess appears to be receiving corn from something. To add to this, the entire hand and the rest of the figure being highlighted by a line adds more depth to the mural. An additional focal point is the head of the goddess, where a green earring is seen along with the extravagant headpiece. The color choices in this piece are vibrant yet balanced. The purple/pink background set the stage for the white and gray symbol and figure. These colors give the work an eye-popping burst of energy, which allows for the focal points to stand out. The colors used in the mural are used to make clear distinctions for the differences between the background and the subject of the mural. The gray is used to be a background element that the viewer does not need to pay close attention to. This is seen in the symbol in the background and the rabbits towards the bottom of the mural. The same effect is used for the focal points, where Xilam uses green to signify the focal points. These can be seen with the earrings on the goddess and the bracelet around the wrist of the hand. Another interesting color element toward the center of the mural is the bright white shell attached to the head of the person. This white is the brightest shade of white in the painting, which stands out from the rest of the work and matches the cloak the figure is wearing. The texture of this mural is made of cinder block. While much of the background hides this with color and symbols, the lined texture remains. The entirety of the wall for this mural consists of horizontal lines approximately 8 inches apart. The lines highlight and bring attention to where the location of this mural is and call for acknowledgment of the wall the mural was created on. The advantage of having these cinderblock texture lines also adds background characteristics that bring more depth to the mural. It also contributes to the spacing. Looking at the space in this mural, there is a clear background, middle ground, and foreground. The background elements include the purple directly on the wall in addition to the pink symbols. These background elements contribute to the viewer’s overall recognition of the mural, as they provide a contrast to the other elements of the mural. The middle ground consists of the gray symbol and rabbits. In addition to the meaning of these symbols and elements, they draw attention to the main focal points of the mural. The symbol in the middle extends to the top and then wraps around the figure in the center of the mural in a semi-circle, which sets the viewing points for the viewer. There is also a large amount of space above the goddess figure, where the top is approximately halfway down the painting. This leaves room for the symbol at the top to be seen, where it extends to the left and right and fills the upper space. In the foreground, the goddess figure is layered on top of the rest of the elements in the mural. As has been already mentioned, this is distinguished by the highlighted purple and yellow lines surrounding the entirety of the figure. This makes the figure stand out from the rest of the mural. The space in the foreground figure is centered. The figure’s head starts in the middle and extends downward, going off the bottom of the wall. This makes the painting appear “cut off,” where the viewer has the perception that the entirety of the painting hasn’t been shown. The depth in all three layers in his painting is well executed. The middle ground elements have elements that go over the background, and the foreground has elements that go over the middle ground. These bring a layering effect that makes the figure pop out from the rest of the mural. -
Wonderland
The mural features a minimalistic and narrative-driven design. It depicts women in dynamic and contemplative poses, accompanied by symbolic elements such as a black cat and a white rabbit. These figures are set against a soft, pastel-toned background with colors of peach, yellow, green, and blue that blend smoothly in a gradient-like transition. This color palette evokes a sense of calm and lightness, while the use of black and white for the figures creates a striking contrast, ensuring they remain the focal point. The natural growth of plants around the building further enhances this integration, blending urban and natural elements. Overall, the piece conveys themes of everyday life, introspection, and connection to nature, inviting viewers to interpret its narrative through its symbolic simplicity and harmonious composition. -
Building Blocks
The mural features a combination of sharp lines, as well as curvy drip-like circles that intersect and overlap. The mural is made of mostly geometric shapes, including rectangles, triangles, circles, and cubes all varying in size, creating depth and layering. The colors used are vibrant and high contrast, including neon yellow, pink, cyan, purple, and green all set on a black background to really make the colors pop. The mural covers the entirety of the wall and uses overlapping to create a 3D effect. -
The Exploration
Formal Analysis:
Composition:The elements in this mural – the girl, the vines, and the moon – are crafted disproportionately. They complement one another but their vibrant colors and odd shapes against the background emphasize a fictional or imagined location, perhaps in the girl’s mind. Despite being the focal point of the mural, the girl is in the corner of it but takes up almost a quarter of the total space to draw attention to her character. She appears to be a daydreamer-- lying on the ground and looking up with her headphones on and her arms behind her head, lost in the fictional night sky. Overall, the arrangement of the elements and their tones create a balance to the scene suggesting that this is a calm place.
Color:The artist uses vibrant colors against a grey background – perceived as the night sky. There is a contrast of two main palettes; one composed of shades of red, yellow, and green, and the other a variation of blues, purple, and pink. There are hues of red, orange, and peach surrounding the arch of what seems to be a doorway, and these colors as well as green are littered in some of the leaves and vines. These colors seem to represent warmth and daylight somewhere in the distance. The other palette is of the blues and purples in the vines and leaves in the night sky and the pink in the character’s clothes. The color arrangement with the night sky palette coloring the larger elements indicates that the character is laying in the night and dreaming or reminiscing about the day.
Line:No element in the mural aside from the character contains straight lines. There are no straight lines in nature so the use of curved lines and round shapes in the background indicates a natural, outdoor setting. Additionally, straight lines may convey stability and order, while curved lines indicate a sense of movement and fluidity which can further support the setting being a fictional location. The character is the only element in the mural defined in a thick black line which distinguishes her from the background as perhaps the only “real” thing in the scene.
Texture:The mural is painted on a smooth brick wall. The background grey is matte, but all the other vibrant colors are shiny and reflect the light beautifully. The texture compliments the mural well and adds a rustic touch and the shiny paint draws the viewer's eye to the elements while muting the background, which seems to be an intentional touch.
Space:The artist mostly uses the size of the elements to create depth in the mural. By layering elements and varying their scale, the artist creates a sense of depth that invites exploration. The largest element in the mural is the girl in the foreground. The middle ground is a flurry of leaves and vines of various sizes and the doorway. The smallest element is the moon which is the only element in the grey background.
-
Ask Why
The main focal point of this mural is the phrase “ASK WHY.” Scale wise, it takes up a majority of the wall and is positioned directly in the center. Integrated throughout the mural and surrounding the text are elements of nature, Hmong culture, gender identity and various other icons. For example, there are larger more visible images of flowers, leaves, and plants as well as smaller details such as rain drops, flames, gender pictograms and Xs that border the phrase. Overall, the mural is not perfectly symmetrical, but it feels balanced both space and design wise. The only uses of color in the mural are in the words “ASK WHY” and the solid yellow shadowing that starts at the top of the letters and ends on the ground. The words themselves are white with a hint of blue (slim line of each letter) and then outlined in pink which are colors often associated with the transgender flag while the rest of the mural is black and white. The use of color forces the eye to gravitate towards the overall purpose of asking why. The rest of the mural being black and white in a way serves as an afterthought, nonetheless equally as important. The smaller and less apparent details cause the observer to further analyze and find hidden meanings and themes. The letters are designed using straight lines, making the message very straight forward and easily legible. The curvature in the images breaks up the straight lines to provide a nice visual and contrast to the linear lines. The foreground is yellow for a majority of the mural with the sides depicting nature (flowers and plants). The middle ground includes the large phrase “ASK WHY” to grab the viewers' attention. Two eyeballs are also included within the middle ground and the background is full of smaller images/icons such as flowers, raindrops/flames, and gender pictograms. The background creates the illusion of outer space with little symbols floating around.