Murals: Walls that Sing

by George Ancona

With photographs by the author A photographic tribute to community and the artists who celebrate it The power and beauty of Diego Rivera's and Jose Clemente Orozco's murals awed George Ancona during his time in Mexico as a young art student. In this photographic essay, Ancona pays homage to the artists who use community walls as canvases, from Orozco and Rivera to graffiti artists to school children. The color photographs of 40 murals focus on the themes of social justice, cultural diversity, and community and are accompanied by detailed annotations about each mural's creator and the artist's relationship to the neighborhood. A beautiful exploration of an often overlooked art form.

Genres: Nonfiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2003

About the author

George Ancona was an author and photographer who has published more that one hundred books, some of them bilingual. He was known for his exquisite photography and close-up looks at a variety of cultural subjects. He lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ancona, a photojournalist, introduces the art style of murals, from early cave paintings to pyramid frescoes to the 20th-century murals in North America expressing historical and political themes. He also highlights student work in New York.

While the photographs are clear -- sometimes showing an entire mural and sometimes a detail from it -- there is no narrative arc. From one page, the text jumps randomly from Diego Rivera's murals in Mexico to artwork on the San Francisco Mission District's "doors, fences, and walls." This disjointedness makes it harder for readers to stay engaged, even as the book hints at interesting stories within each mural.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colorful book providing a tour of murals in various cities around the U.S. Seeing the range of possibilities makes me excited to think that such a project is being planned for the community here. There is a mural of a colonial fellow in a tricorn hat--some say it's Paul Revere--on the side of a building in Rome, where I live. I see it every morning on my way to work. It adds color and life to the otherwise drabness of buildings. Ancona's photographs not only depict a range of styles, including the use of spray cans, but also the range of symbols used and the meaning given to these pictures by their creators. I liked the pictures of the school children painting murals. Ancona says, "When neighborhood children take part in contributing ideas and painting the murals, they feel connected to their work. It is rare that the murals get tagged with graffiti." (p.34) I would love to see this form of artwork appear in more communities across the country. Ancona translates a quote from Jose Clemente Orozco that states: "The most natural, purest, and strongest form of painting is the mural. It is also the most generous, since it cannot be turned into an object for personal profit; it cannot be hidden for the benefit of the privileged few. It is for the people. It is for everyone." (p.3) Perhaps that's why the idea of them appeals to me so much. I wish this book were still in print, as I'd add it to my library's collection. Enthusiastically recommended!

[Luisa Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction picture book opens with and introduction by the author and a quotation from Jose Clemente Orozco (one of the three great Mexican muralists), "'The most natural, purest, and strongest form of painting is the mural. It is also the most generous, since it cannot be turned into an object for personal profit; it cannot be hidden for the benefit of the privileged few. It is for the people. It is for everyone,'" (3). The book continues to describe murals from the Lascaux Cave in France to the Pilsen Neighborhood in Chicago to Public School 64 in the South Bronx, New York. The vivid images include brilliant colors, faces of all colors from the past, present and future. A quick and beautiful exploration of public art.

[Lourdes · Rating 4 out of 5]

2003 Américas Honorable Mentions. Beautifully illustrated book about the impact of murals on a community. This book doe not just include Latino murals but is inclusive of other murals in US cities. This is a great way to explore history, culture and art for elementary school children. The pictures make the reader want to go out and find the mural.