Collaborative Mural

For the unit 3 AP in If These Walls Could Talk students were put into groups and asked to collaboratively design and execute a mural in GCE's new space. Group members evaluated the murals made by students in unit 2 in order to find both visual and conceptual elements we wanted to include in our mural. Over the course of a few weeks, we all worked together towards finalizing the prep work necessary for the completion of the mural. We cut and tested stencils, took pictures and complied collages, and prepared the wall. The process at times was frustrating but a continued forward pushing effort allowed our group to remain on task. All the time and effort we put forth began to pay off when our ideas began transforming into realities. Following weeks of prepping and planning our mural had finally come together. The final mural was both a beautiful piece of art that captivated the viewer as well as a tool that contained a deeper message.

The mural my group created depicts a diverse group of people spanned across the length of the wall. Interspersed cracks throughout the wall contain collages depicting different realities, treasures, and gems Chicago contains but aren’t known for. The intention and purpose of the mural is call attention to and shed light on the many beautiful and amazing attributes Chicago posses. The media and techniques used to carry out the mural include spray paint, stencils, and wheat paste. The process to create the stencils began with images of different people varying in size and gesture being transferred to the wall via projector. The images were traced on paper then attached to cardboard to be cut out. The spray paint was misted over the stencil to transfer the image onto the surface. Original photographs from group members were compiled and transformed into collages each containing a central theme. The three collages represent the hidden gems of Chicago found in Art, Architecture and Culture. The digitally produced collages were printed out in sections and to be assembled by the group. Laser ink images and a natural adhesive comprised of four parts water to one part starch are the two integral components of wheatpasting. The adhesive was applied to the surface via a rolling tool called a brayer. The laser ink images were applied over the initial coat of adhesive and then covered with a top layer of adhesive to seal the image. The background of the wall is grey. All stencils, both people and cracks were done in black spray paint. The black is bold and allows for the stenciled sections of the mural to pop out from the grey base. The mural’s color comes from the collages.The collages are where the piece’s core theme lies, the hidden gems of Chicago, and the use of a variety of colors helps to draw the viewer's attention towards it. The mural transforms and impacts the space it occupies by providing it with a visually pleasing and stimulating piece that also contains a deeper message. The mural acts as a tool which allows viewers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Chicago and its many treasures and gems. The mural impacts the space by providing an important message which is directly related to GCE’s mission. The mural transforms the space by taking bits and pieces of art, culture, and architecture from different areas and neighborhoods of Chicago and compiling them to create a visual representation of Chicago hidden gems.

Each day in class group members claimed certain roles which were essential in staying on track and working towards the completion of the mural. The four roles included artistic director, director of operations, mule, and documentarian. The artistic director was in charge of making sure the work being done aligned with the proposed mural and all work was good quality. The director of operations was a logistical position where the group member would keep time as well as be aware of and reiterate deadlines/due dates. The mule was in charge of retrieving materials necessary for the execution of the mural. The documentarian was in charge of documenting the work period through photo and video. The photos and videos were then shared with the group to then be later used for the making of each students video. My favorite of the four roles was documentarian. I enjoy capturing moments in time and documenting work processes. I was quite effective at documentarian due to my ability to take high quality photos and videos while still working and remaining on track with the project. My least favorite of the four roles was the mule. I didn’t particularly enjoy being the mule as it was boring and time consuming. The constant need to retrieve materials prevented me from fully diving into my work for that particular work period. While I didn’t enjoy the role, I understood the importance of it in completing our mural. If I could change something about the process and experience I would allow for more time in the space to execute the murals. The short window of time we were granted to work in the space prevented us from experimenting more which would have allowed for a better end product. The final mural we created achieved our original goal of creating a beautiful and aesthetic piece of art that contained a powerful and significant message. Our continued hard work and perseverance during the creation process allowed us to create a final mural that transformed and impacted the space in the way we had envisioned.