Compositional structures in mural design : towards a site-specific deconstructive mural methodology

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Murals have been the formal visual interpretation of the cultural, social and political life of all ages. Throughout they have been consistently combined with their architectural setting, for example, in ancient Egyptian tombs, in Renaissance churches and on the external walls of buildings in Mexico in the twentieth century. This is a central feature of mural painting. However many contemporary murals do not integrate with their architectural settings, in other words, do not fulfil the site-specificity of the architectural spaces for which they were made. This means that the most important aspect that distinguishes murals from other types of painting is absent. I studied and analysed a number of murals produced in the Italian Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo as this particular period is considered to be not only one of the most significant in the history of art but also a period in which painting and architecture were very closely allied as practices. In particular the radical developments in painting of pictorial space took place along side the developments in architecture. I argue that Renaissance murals could be described, using the terminology of contemporary art, as site-specific art. By identifying the relationship between pictorial space, architectural space and compositional structure I was able to test, through my own practice, the importance of these relationships in understanding the site-specificity of the compositional structure of murals. To address the issue of sitespecificity in murals, I investigated and developed a set of compositional structures through my mural practice that could be applied in the design, execution, and teaching of contemporary mural design. I have developed the notion of a deconstructive method of mural design in which the illusory space of the mural derives its compositional structure from the architectural space in which it sited. I have applied it, tested it and refined it through the execution of a number of hypothetical and live mural commissions. I believe that the approach to the study and practice of mural design I have developed from the perspective of a practice lead researcher contributes to the furtherance of mural design as both a profession and field of study. In particular the identification of compositional structures in mural design and the proposal of a deconstructive method contributes to our understanding of what a mural is as well as current notions of site-specificity in contemporary art

The battle of Detroit and anti-communism in the depression era

This article is an exploration of Diego Rivera's visit to Detroit in 1932-3. It seeks to use his experiences, and in particular the spectacular popular reaction to the Detroit Industry murals he pointed, as a prism for anaylsing varieties of anti-communism in. Detroit in the depression era. The article argues that close relationships between Private capitalists, most notably Hen?)) Ford and a Mexican communist, expose contradictions in big business's use of anti-communism in the interwar period, and suggest that anti-communism was a more complicated phenomenon than simply a tool for the promotion of free enterprise'. Moreover, by comparing the public reaction to the artists' work with their original intent, it is possible to see how members of Detroit's society unconsciously, used anti-communism to sublimate broader concerns over race and ethnicity gender, politics, and religiosity in a region in the throes of profound social change. The article seeks to highlight elements of these latent anxieties and fears in order to show how anti-communism acted as a vessel for social debate

Creating an Art Tourist Space in the Urban Sphere of Lodz – a Theoretical Approach Based on the Example of the Urban Forms Gallery of Murals

The Urban Forms Gallery of murals in Lodz, Poland, is a “live gallery” of more than 30 large-format paintings made directly on the façades of the buildings. This unique street art exhibition changes the appearance of Lodz’s public space and constitutes a kind of new tourist attraction – a tourist trail. Moreover, it contributes to social revitalisation and renewal of urban sphere of the neglected parts of the city. The new kind of tourist space is being created – an art tourist space. The paper describes the types of art tourist space based on the example of the Gallery, as well as its comprehension levels

Fish and Ships

Article and Interview about Esther Johnson's research project 'Ships in the Sky'. The publication includes a centre poster illustrated by Jake Machen which draws on Johnson's research timeline of the life of Hull's former Cooperative Society and later BHS building. Further information on the research can be found here: http://shipsinthesky.weebly.co

Art-Tourism Space In Łódź: The Example Of The Urban Forms Gallery

Łódź, as a city of huge post-industrial and modern art potential, has become in recent years a unique Polish tourism destination whose urban fabric constitutes a perfect background for street art. Examples are the murals of the Urban Forms Gallery (large format artworks) which contribute to revitalisation as well as the creation of new tourism assets to form a new tourism space: art-tourism space. The paper describes both the process of creating this space as well as its distinctive features.Łódź jako miasto o postindustrialnym potencjale turystycznym, a także miasto sztuki nowoczesnej i kultury niezależnej, staje się w ostatnich latach unikatową na mapie Polski destynacją, której tkanka miejska stanowi doskonałe tło do działań z zakresu „street artu”. Jednym z takich działań jest galeria murali Fundacji Urban Forms, która przyczyniając się do rewitalizacji obszarów i kreowania nowych walorów, tworzy nową przestrzeń miasta – przestrzeń turystyczno-artystyczną. Artykuł opisuje zarówno proces powstawania tej przstrzeni, jak i charakterystyczne jej cechy

Set Free the Artistic Energy of Lodz! The Evolution of the Urban Forms Foundation

The text discusses the complex characteristics of the activities of the Urban Forms Foundation, its goals, methods and areas of activity as well as recent challenges

Richmond Mural Tour

In the past years Richmond has been growing in popularity in the world of street art. This popularity is due in part to the many projects that brought in artists from around the world to create beautiful artwork. There is so much art outside in Richmond as a result of these projects, but no great way to navigate the streets of the city in an efficient manner to see all of it. Richmond Mural Tour is a mobile cross-platform application that allows users to explore all of the amazing outdoor artwork around the city. This application is built on ionic 2, a cross-platform framework that allows developers to write code in one language, Javascript. The project can then be built into a native iOS, Android, and Windows phone applications. The app utilizes the Google Maps Javascript API to display a map of all the murals in Richmond. It then allows users to build and customize “Tours” or routes with any number of murals that have been selected. It also takes advantage of the Mapquest Web API to find the most optimal route between a list of waypoints. To serve all of this data to mobile phones this application uses a simple ASP.NET Core web API to transmit the data to devices via the internet.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1159/thumbnail.jp

Street Art and Space

Various forms of street art, such as murals, anamorphic painting or urban interventions, become an important component of urban space. The paper examines examples of selected works of urban art in the context of space and its reception. These unexpected “events” entertain and educate. They become, on the one hand, a tourist attraction, and on the other hand, a major voice in the debate on the public nature of visual urban sphere. Although ephemeral and inconspicuous, usually reluctantly accepted by architects and urban planners, they successfully urge viewers to reflect on space and its existing functions