WHAT IS A MURAL?

A mural is a piece of art applied to the surface of a wall or a ceiling or other large surfaces. The word mural derives from the Latin word “murus”, meaning “wall”. The origin of murals date as far back as to the Paleolithic period and the earliest examples can be found in the Chauvet cave in southeastern France which contains the best-preserved cave paintings in the world.

Mural painting was later revived in Europe in the early Middle Ages. It was applied in the form of stained-glass windows painted in decorative patterns and colors. Twentieth-century murals came in various techniques and styles, and usually depicted realistic scenes on social themes. Fresco is the best known form of mural painting, but there are various methods and techniques as shown by the Mexican murals of modern times. Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros, and Jose Orozco were among the pioneers of modern mural painters.

Murals are considered an example of socially engaging art and play an important role in the relationship between art and politics. Every painting is unique, and every artist has a different style of their own. Particularly in South America, mural art is used as a communication tool between communities, nations and cultures. The size of the painting makes it an effective tool for passing a message to the people who are willing to participate. In addition, some murals are created only for the sake of a beautiful image on a wall.

Murals attract and affect the attitudes of the people passing them by. Everyone has their own understanding of the painting, and they add aesthetic value to the areas that they are put up. They can be a tourist attraction that brings improvement to the areas.

As urban art is becoming more mainstream, murals are continuing to appear more widely, and most people are now aware of the existence and role of these paintings as well as their artistic value.

Mural art has indeed been around as old as history as people have kept leaving marks of their way of expression around the world. And they definitely tell us a lot about our history and light the way for us to see the many unique ways of expression through different time periods. Today, the popularity of this form of art shows that it will continue to do so in the future.