What Do Murals Do?
A Reflection on Different Types of Murals
Compiled by Tara S. Holl, Maryland Artists/Teachers Institute
Teaching Artist
“Murals are large scale paintings which are applied
directly to walls, ceilings, and many other large flat
surfaces. They are presumed to be the oldest human
art form, as cave paintings at numerous human
settlements suggest, and can be found all over the
world.”
– Muralist Eric Jonsson
To record history: One of the magnificent cave paintings from Lascaux, France, perhaps depicting
the hunt or showing the abundance and types of animals found. Note that it is believed to be from
15,000 to 10,000 B.C.
To record history, to inform: The early Egyptians decorated the walls of their palaces and tombs
with brightly painted murals. While some of the paintings depicted everyday life, many told stories
of gods, goddesses, and rulers. Many of these murals have survived for thousands of years.
To document, to decorate: Minoan fisherman
from Santorini, Greece, 1650-1500 B.C
Minoan Dolphins displayed on a wall painting at
Knossos Palace, Crete.
These ancient murals give us a glimpse into the
past.
To honor, to educate: 2nd Century B.C. Cave Paintings from the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra,
India. These murals are considered among “the finest examples of early Indian religious and
historical art”.
To honor, to celebrate and to record history: Chinese mural from one of the Mogao Caves (or
Mogao Grottoes), also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas. The caves contain some of
the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years.
To provide employment: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Public Works of Art Project, part
of the New Deal, supported artists to create this mural (and others) capturing the character of the
common folk and their struggles during the Depression.
To record, to commemorate: U.S. Post Office Building, Muncy, Pennsylvania: John
W. Beauchamp’s “Rachel Silverthorne’s Ride” (1938) depicts a heroine warning of a
British-allied Indian attack in 1778. This mural was one of very few depicting a woman
as a prominent figure during historical representations.
To celebrate, to commemorate, to beautify, and to record history: One of several murals
(glass mosaic) created in the Harlem, New York, subway stations to depict the culture of the
Harlem Renaissance and legends of uptown.
To make political and religious statements: Murals in Northern Ireland have become symbols
of the nation, depicting the region’s past and present political and religious divisions.
To commemorate: Bobby Sands mural, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since the Northern Ireland
peace agreement, the focus has become less political. Quite different from when a young
republican muralist was shot dead in 1980 with police saying they mistook his paintbrush for a gun.
To promote goodwill and community awareness: The Baltimore Love Project consists of at
least 20 murals painted around different parts of Baltimore City. The word “love” is spelled out
with hands and fingers. Artist Michael Owen is responsible for this wonderful gift to the city.
To Control: Huntington Beach, California mural – in an effort to control graffiti throughout this
town, people were invited to “do” graffiti on a public wall. Police stood by to keep things “clean”.
There was a great deal of controversy about this project from the local residents.
To ma
To beautify for public enjoyment: Trompe L'oeil (French term) mural meaning to “fool the
eye”.
For community enjoyment: Trompe L'oeil - John Pugh’s Mana Nalu mural in Honolulu, Hawaii,
fools the eye.
T
To record, to document: The Tea Horse Trade; this trade involved the ancient exchange between
China and Tibet, with tea coming from China and horses coming from Tibet.
To revitalize: The Murals of Chemainus, Vancouver Island, B.C. With “Necessity is the mother of
invention” as a ruling concept, the leaders and townspeople of Chemainus turned what could have
been the end of their hometown into a renaissance, and became known as “The Little Town That
did”. The logging industry was no longer a viable business that could support the town as it once
had.
To commemorate and revitalize: First Nation People have called this land home in Chemainus
and throughout the Canadian Northwest for many long years and they are an integral part of the
history that is depicted in some of the 40 plus murals created in Chemainus.
To protest: This mural was done on a huge boulder on Vieques Island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
I believe it is in protest as the U.S. military had an installation there for many years where warfare
testing went on; many islanders believe contamination on the island and in its surrounding waters
is still present.
To advertise: The company Nike has shared its brand by creating compelling advertising for the
last several years with clean, inventive and celebratory marketing murals such as this one.
To unify: The overall theme of this 80 foot mural on the west-facing wall of P.S. 11, William T.
Harris elementary school, in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, is a message of
international unity. “The idea is One World, One Voice, no borders, no separation, just everything
and everyone working together for a single cause that is a better world.” The work was done by
two Brazilian muralists Otavio and Gustavo Pandolfo.
To embellish: Contemporary circus themed and stylized mural.
OLD MILL NORTH M.S.
To learn, to teach and to embellish: Old Mill North Middle School 48’ student mural about
the earth’s biomes. This student mural was created in a common area in the school.
Detail #1 Old Mill North Middle School - Students studied the flora and fauna of specific biomes
in order to create a meaningful arts integrated composition.
Detail #2 Old Mill North Middle School - Students researched and then painted appropriate
symbols to represent many countries from around the world on the borders of the mural to
promote unity.
To celebrate multiculturalism: Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary “We are the World, We are the
Children” – students created a mosaic mural reflecting cultures from around the world. They
interpreted their vision of the song “We are the World, We are the Children” about Africa by
Michael Jackson.
Detail of Lucy V. Barnsley
mural; students included
details of dress to illustrate
different cultures.
Detail - Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary “We are the World, We are the Children” - students chose
skin tones that reflected the various cultures represented and included headdresses and other
details to further indicate traditional dress.
To encourage reading, healthy values, and artistic expression: Northfield Elementary
students created this ceramic mural in 2004 under teaching artist Nancy Sandbower.
Detail – Northfield Elementary outdoor ceramic mural depicting a scene from the Italian story
“Strega Nonna” (Italian for Grandmother Witch!) about being honest and making good choices.
teach
To teach, to unify, to celebrate and to beautify: Northfield Elementary – Students created
this 2012 fabric mural inspired by Mexican folk art, the theme depicts cultures and monuments
from around the world. This mural is located in the lobby of the school.
Detail of Northfield Elementary fabric mural showing that students researched the appropriate
style of dress and shelter for a specific region of the world. The scale of the people and other
shapes is reflective of traditional Mexican folk art.
To illustrate and to encourage: Mixed Media mural component inspired by the book Mama Miti
to celebrate the concept of planting trees, ideas, and HOPE to bring peace and prosperity to
Kenya.
If you have any questions or comments,
please contact me at
tshstudios@juno.com
Thank you, Tara S. Holl
Maryland Artists/Teachers Institute
Teaching Artist