Murals
Murals of sorts date to Upper Paleolithic times such as the cave paintings in the Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave in Borneo (40,000-52,000 BP), Chauvet Cave in Ardèche department of southern France (around 32,000 BP). Many ancient murals have been found within ancient Egyptian tombs (around 3150 BC), the Minoan palaces (Middle period III of the Neopalatial period, 1700–1600 BC), the Oxtotitlán cave and Juxtlahuaca in Mexico (around 1200-900 BC) and in Pompeii (around 100 BC – AD 79).
During the Middle Ages murals were usually executed on dry plaster (secco). The huge collection of Kerala mural painting dating from the 14th century are examples of fresco secco. In Italy, circa 1300, the technique of painting of frescos on wet plaster was reintroduced and led to a significant increase in the quality of mural painting.
In modern times, the term became more well-known with the Mexican muralism art movement (Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros and José Orozco). There are many different styles and techniques. The best-known is probably fresco, which uses water-soluble paints with a damp lime wash, a rapid use of the resulting mixture over a large surface, and often in parts (but with a sense of the whole). The colors lighten as they dry. The marouflage method has also been used for millennia.
Murals today are painted in a variety of ways, using oil or water-based media. The styles can vary from abstract to trompe-l'œil (a French term for "fool" or "trick the eye"). Initiated by the works of mural artists like Graham Rust or Rainer Maria Latzke in the 1980s, trompe-l'oeil painting has experienced a renaissance in private and public buildings in Europe. Today, the beauty of a wall mural has become much more widely available with a technique whereby a painting or photographic image is transferred to poster paper or canvas which is then pasted to a wall surface (see wallpaper, Frescography) to give the effect of either a hand-painted mural or realistic scene.
Here are just a few of the most influentual Mexican Street Artists of our time.
From Scientist to Artist
Los Angeles-based artist Hakakian is now known for her colorful street murals but she wasn’t always a professional artist known for her works at the PaliHotel on Melrose and at Art Basel in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District, among others. Hakakian graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor's degree in neuroscience and worked for ten years at Cedars Sinai before leaving her job to pursue a career in art.
Mother Earth
Both St. Peter's letter and the book of Job reveal, that Satan is not content to wait for us to come to him. No, he is hunting us and attacks us through our personal weaknesses. We all have them. Satan very subtly maneuvers our thoughts, emotions, and surroundings to best exploit them, thereby leading us into sin. If, by God's grace, we have rid ourselves of one sin, Satan readily exploits another of our weaknesses. We know this all too well. There is hope, however. "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:6). "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness" (Romans 8:26). Only through washing ourselves in Christ's Blood by our willing participation in the sacramental life of the Church can we ever rid ourselves of our sins. Satan never takes a break from going to and fro on the earth and walking up and down on it" (Job 1:7).
Chasing Money
Arie Wubben developed a method to create digital paintings with pictures. These images were used in 2005 for the exhibition “Cultura Latina” in the restaurant Morgenthal in Hirzel. More digital paintings were displayed in the prestigeous IBM Research Laboratory in Rüschlikon. In 2006 Arie Wubben organized an exhibition in the “Bildungszentrum Zürichsee” in Horgen and in 2007 he participated successfully in the exhibition of the Culture Circle Oberrieden. 2008 was dedicated to the Lockheed Super Constellation in Restaurant Liebegg in Oberrieden. Further exhibitions are planned in Holland, Mexico and Switzerland.
Drink With Me
Both St. Peter and Job reveal Satan's motivation. Very specifically, he wishes to devour us and have us curse God to His Face. That sends chills down my spine. I want to spend neither my life nor my eternity consumed by Satan and cursing God. Suffering is not fun. Suffering is an evil. Yet, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18). Both Job and St. Peter assure us, that after we "have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you" (1 Peter 5:10).