Why a mural blog?

For years I’ve had a fascination with murals. I love the audacious bigness of murals and the way their presence adds interest and splendor to an ordinary street.

I also love observing the subject matter of murals, which is wide-ranging. Some are symbolic. Others tell a story or focus on a community’s historical events. Still others border on propaganda or advertising.

People put them up for a variety of reasons, it seems. In some towns mural-making is used to memorialize history or give artists a platform. Some cities put up murals systematically with a view to draw tourists. Institutions and businesses put up murals to illustrate their ideals or what they support. Sometimes city governments fund mural projects to give their youth something to work on. Other times shopkeepers put up murals to transform ugly buildings and attract customers.

Regardless of why they’re there, most of them are pretty easy on the eyes and the understanding. I think of them as the art of common people (though usually by uncommonly good artists). If murals were music, they would be folk, or jazz, or country and western.

I’ve taken photographs of murals for years – photos that have customarily moldered in albums or boxes. But now, with my digital camera and access to a blog, I can do more. Which is why I’m putting up this blog – to share my finds with whoever cares to come by.

There won’t be a lot of writing here – mostly pictures. I’ll try to tell what I know about the various murals, like their artists and the message behind the depiction. I’ll also give general locations. Mostly, though, I want this to be a light-hearted, fun place to ogle street art.

Oh yes and the ‘and More’ part of this blog’s title simply means that from time to time, I’ll post other public art as well.

So, shall we begin...