Diane Boller, ASID
March 31, 2017
Athens, Greece
When I was in college, some of my friends who were not art majors decided to take an Art History course because they thought it would be an easy “A”. It wasn’t. Studying the art of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and 18th Century was fascinating, but also quite complex. Learning about the techniques, style and unique characteristics of art by the European Masters provided a great deal of insight into the lifestyle of each era and the contrast between the social classes. Sadly, fine art rarely existed except in the Church or the palaces of royalty. Very few people of the time ever saw fine art in their daily lives.
Today we are fortunate to be surrounded by art in many forms, from utensils and fabrics we use every day to dramatic public art in our communities. Art changes the view of the world we see, regardless of our age, gender, or education level. Whether it is “Trompe-l’oeil”, art that fools the eye, or totally abstract imagery, art encourages, motivates and inspires us. Perhaps Pablo Picasso stated it best, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
These photos show a few examples of current public art from around the world that has dramatically changed the environment, as seen in the After and Before photos. The identities of the mural artists are unknown.
Le Puy en Velay, France
San Francisco, California
Aurec sur Loire, France
Palmitas, Mexico
Feature image is in New York, New York by artist Ed Purver