Celebrating the art and artists that transformed the city into a canvas – giving us light in the dark. When San Francisco shut down for COVID shelter-in-place in early 2020, artists created beautiful works throughout the city on boarded up storefronts. The City Canvas: A Paint the Void Retrospective showcased these artists and a selection of their murals – together for the first time in historic Building 12 at Pier 70 from January .
The City Canvas was curated by Heather Whitmore Jain, and produced by Building 180.
Read about the artists featured in the exhibit below.
The City Canvas was curated by Heather Whitmore Jain, and produced by Building 180.
Read about the artists featured in the exhibit below.
Covid-19 prompted a spontaneous mural movement across the globe as artists went into the streets, using public painting to uplift their communities. This instantaneous, widespread response to the fear and uncertainty of the moment speaks to the power of art to heal and unify in times of crisis. Pandemic murals embody aspects of collective lived experience of this period. As one of the Bay Area organizations instrumental in supporting the mural movement, Paint the Void offers this exhibition as a celebration of San Francisco’s creative community.
The majority of murals in the exhibition were originally sponsored by Paint the Void (PtV) in San Francisco and are shown in their street condition. Other murals were either made independently, sponsored by other organizations, or supported by the host business. All the murals were executed on plywood boards between April 2020– just after the shelter-in-place order shuttered businesses–and the first quarter of 2021 when shops and restaurants began reopening. This exhibition features only a sampling of the hundreds created during this year. Street art is ephemeral by its very nature but there is a range of transience. Whereas many paintings on exterior building walls can still be enjoyed in their original locations, delicate wheatpaste applications of paper often do not survive beyond a few weeks. Countless plywood murals have been lost or destroyed, consequently a small number of the murals in this exhibition have been recreated or lightly retouched. Displaying their unique histories as public art objects, murals quite literally bear witness to their times.
Although pandemic murals tell many different stories and show a range of perspectives, some shared subjects and imagery emerge through the curatorial lens chosen for The City Canvas. The exhibition presents three loosely grouped, and often intertwined, themes: messages of optimism; calls for social justice and political engagement; and representations of emotional experience. Regardless of categorization, the overarching narrative is that public art is a powerful vehicle for community healing, activism and resilience. Artists can wield these powers for the common good, as has been especially evident during Covid.
As San Francisco continues its reopening, we offer this exhibition as an opportunity to reflect on individual and collective experiences during the pandemic’s first year. Displaying these works together for the first time allows viewers to see more clearly what has been lost, gained, and learned about ourselves, our communities and society. As chalk artist Lee Ann Frahm’s lost mural succinctly put it, “We are brave. We are hopeful. We are resilient. We are San Francisco.”
The majority of murals in the exhibition were originally sponsored by Paint the Void (PtV) in San Francisco and are shown in their street condition. Other murals were either made independently, sponsored by other organizations, or supported by the host business. All the murals were executed on plywood boards between April 2020– just after the shelter-in-place order shuttered businesses–and the first quarter of 2021 when shops and restaurants began reopening. This exhibition features only a sampling of the hundreds created during this year. Street art is ephemeral by its very nature but there is a range of transience. Whereas many paintings on exterior building walls can still be enjoyed in their original locations, delicate wheatpaste applications of paper often do not survive beyond a few weeks. Countless plywood murals have been lost or destroyed, consequently a small number of the murals in this exhibition have been recreated or lightly retouched. Displaying their unique histories as public art objects, murals quite literally bear witness to their times.
Although pandemic murals tell many different stories and show a range of perspectives, some shared subjects and imagery emerge through the curatorial lens chosen for The City Canvas. The exhibition presents three loosely grouped, and often intertwined, themes: messages of optimism; calls for social justice and political engagement; and representations of emotional experience. Regardless of categorization, the overarching narrative is that public art is a powerful vehicle for community healing, activism and resilience. Artists can wield these powers for the common good, as has been especially evident during Covid.
As San Francisco continues its reopening, we offer this exhibition as an opportunity to reflect on individual and collective experiences during the pandemic’s first year. Displaying these works together for the first time allows viewers to see more clearly what has been lost, gained, and learned about ourselves, our communities and society. As chalk artist Lee Ann Frahm’s lost mural succinctly put it, “We are brave. We are hopeful. We are resilient. We are San Francisco.”
OPTIMISM
After the shelter-in-place order in March 2020, people in San Francisco were shocked and dismayed by the immediate cessation of normal city life. Street traffic diminished to a trickle. Sidewalks were nearly empty of pedestrians. Non-essential businesses closed and quickly boarded up to prevent theft and damage. These shuttered storefronts signaled what people had lost: local retailers and services, employment and places to gather. Across a desolate cityscape people who were anxious and uncertain about the future longed for signs of hope. Muralists painting independently on the streets answered this urgent wish for positivity, and PtV gently encouraged the artists they worked with to offer optimistic messages during this initial phase of Covid.
Early pandemic murals were often very colorful and uplifting. Nature was a popular subject, particularly flowers and butterflies which are rare and beautiful signs of life in a city. As Covid mutated, artists incorporated humor, fantasy, historical references, cosmic beings, and essential workers as uplifting subjects that focused attention on gratitude.
Early pandemic murals were often very colorful and uplifting. Nature was a popular subject, particularly flowers and butterflies which are rare and beautiful signs of life in a city. As Covid mutated, artists incorporated humor, fantasy, historical references, cosmic beings, and essential workers as uplifting subjects that focused attention on gratitude.
1. Nora Bruhn
@konorebi
Chez Maman ~ Hayes Valley ~ April 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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This lavender-colored peony in Hayes Valley was one of the first PtV murals to be completed, and its beauty convinced many surrounding businesses to partner with PtV. Hayes Valley quickly became a corridor of colorful walls and one of the highest concentrations of public artworks in the city. Floral imagery likewise went viral as a mural subject.
Flowers are a recurring subject in Nora Bruhn’s work. Even when rendered on the massive scale of a mural, they retain their delicate, silky and transparent petals. Bruhn is a dedicated flower-lover, has studied herbalism and believes in the healing power of plants. She thinks of her art as an offering to bring people together and help build community connections. She has found that painting in public offers unique interactions such as when a man experiencing homelessness insisted on tipping Bruhn a quarter which made her “heart melt.” |
2. Mariana Prutton
@marianaprutton
May You Be Safe
OI Funds ~ Union Square ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
OI Funds ~ Union Square ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Even if you are not religious, the idea of a protective force keeping everyone safe during the pandemic has appeal. Professional therapist Mariana Prutton recognizes this need and addresses it in her art. Under a rainbow, rays of sunshine emanate from a figure wearing a floral veil and offering the wish “May You Be Safe.” This phrase is the beginning of a loving-kindness meditation Prutton teaches and practices. The owl and symbol for woman imply these are wise words from a female guardian.
Prutton was inspired by the history of her mural location. In the early 1900s, 532 Sutter was a women-only club where members gathered during the 1918 pandemic when San Franciscans masked for safety. The artist of today assumes her wish is the same as it would have been a century ago: for friends, family and loved ones to be safe, healthy, free from harm and to live with ease. |
3. Felicia Gabaldon
@feliciagabaldonart
Bauerware ~ Castro ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Flowers are a recurring theme of natural beauty in the pandemic murals. For Indigenous artist Felicia Gabaldon, moreover, flowers carry additional cultural significance because Native Americans hold all of nature sacred. In her mural, nature serves as an inspiration of hope and a symbol of prayers. Reverence for the natural world extends to the cosmos and sky as the background to Gabaldon’s flower. In this vibrant mural, infinite space fills the upper half while the lower portion features a flat abstract design: three-dimensional flower petals above contrast with the geometric pattern below for an energetic composition.
The manager of Bauerware, the location of this mural, gave his appreciation for Gabaldon’s work: “These things are more than paint on wood... These are symbols.” Gabaldon said she felt blessed to have this opportunity to be employed, help the community feel safer and “lessen that apocalyptic vibe.” |
4. Mark Harris
@markharrisart
Relax Think Covid-Free Thoughts
Rose Gold ~ Haight ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Rose Gold ~ Haight ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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In the beginning of the pandemic, every news story, conversation, and decision seemed to revolve around the universal crisis. Mark Harris wanted to counteract the inundation of coronavirus news and thoughts by encouraging people to think beyond the pandemic. He sees his job as an artist as helping people process information visually by taking complex topics and breaking them down so they become relatable and can be synthesized.
Harris believes if we can resist being hijacked by anxiety and can think outside the tunnel vision of Covid, we are more likely to devise creative solutions to the social inequities highlighted by the pandemic. This composition recalls 50’s advertisements but, instead of promoting a product, it endorses a way of thinking. In this mural, “Relax” is written in flowing cursive in the same cool blue color as the mask. These visual cues suggest wearing a mask is just as important as monitoring your thoughts. |
5. Matley Hurd
@matleyhurd
Old Oakland ~ October 2020
Courtesy of Old Oakland/11 West Partners.
Courtesy of Old Oakland/11 West Partners.
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Matley Hurd made his first mural in 2018 on a small wall in the Mission where he discovered the joy of creating in public. Emboldened by the positive response he received from pedestrians and the mural opportunities available during shelter-in-place, Hurd quit his other job to focus solely on painting professionally.
Hurd’s signature subjects are science fiction inspired, bold and colorful Star Goddesses, deities who can be anything you want or believe them to be. While painting on the streets, Hurd has fine-tuned his technique. In this example he has gracefully modeled the figure so she appears to project beyond her flat rainbow-ribboned attire and monochromatic background. The goddess’ eyes are glassy and eerily possessed: together with the dynamic swirls, their gaze urges the viewer into motion along the mural. |
6. Darnel Tasker
@ddigglesworth
Change Is the Law of Nature
Alaya Boutique ~ Inner Sunset ~ October 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Alaya Boutique ~ Inner Sunset ~ October 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Even more so than in “normal” times, during the pandemic many people have been seeking a sense of meditative calm. Darnel Tasker offers a whimsical vision in which an alien relaxes on a flowering tree branch surrounded by a bird, a caterpillar, a pupa, and a butterfly. Taken together, the stages of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly offer a visual analogue to the title Change Is the Law of Nature. While many other pandemic murals display similar natural elements, and some also share a story-book illustrative design or cosmic references, Tasker’s cheerful alien is a unique figure. Simultaneously bizzare and disarmingly cute, its heart-tipped antennae suggest the unknown is not necessarily a threat. Perhaps a serene extraterrestrial can remind viewers that beautiful things often emerge from periods of extreme disruption, like a caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a butterfly.
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7. Math Oner
@math_punks_thugs_vandals
Retreat Studios ~ Lower Haight ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Many of San Francisco’s established graffiti artists participated in PtV’s efforts to beautify the city. As a subculture community whose practitioners are known and know one another personally by both tags and street names, they witness and appreciate each other’s work. Math Oner’s portrait figure has itself become a type of tag signature. Since its first appearance in 1999, this profile that he calls a “headhunter” has had innumerable variations. This version is unique for its inclusion of cherry blossoms, a flower revered in Japan where according to Oner “they represent a fallen warrior who sacrificed his life for a cause.'' Frequently, when Oner has painted headhunters in places that have experienced street violence, greater peace has been reported afterwards. Due to this phenomenon, community members have nicknamed them “watchers'' whose presence seems to safeguard the area.
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8. The Tracy Piper
@the_tracy_piper
We Can Do It
Lexington Standard ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Lexington Standard ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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“Doing our part” during Covid often means helping to keep each other safe. For example, making masks and donating them to essential workers is one way citizens have contributed to public safety and thanked those on the front lines. Echoing another time when Americans needed to come together, The Tracy Piper’s mural envisions a new, polka-dot bandana-wearing “Rosie the Riveter.” In WWII Rosie was a cultural icon who represented everyone in factories and shipyards, including women, working to do their part for the war effort.
While this mural was on the street, it attracted many other mark makers. The Tracy Piper returned to fix the face but left the rest available to be adorned. This beautiful interplay shows that everyone is in this together as a community, that each voice can and should matter and that no single artist owns the streets. |
9. E Dyer
@edyer.art
I love you and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it
Alamo Square ~ October 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by St. Anthony's Foundation.
Alamo Square ~ October 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by St. Anthony's Foundation.
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For vulnerable populations, Covid presents yet another existential threat to survival. If you do not have a home, how can you shelter in place? If you rely on gathering at a food pantry, how can you eat safely? St. Anthony’s Foundation has been serving vulnerable communities in San Francisco for 70 years, and its anniversary coincided with the pandemic. To celebrate this milestone, a group of San Francisco artists were commissioned to create murals displayed at various locations around the city.
E Dyer, a Tenderloin-based zine artist, offers a poem that reads like a meditation prayer to all those seeking comfort. Their line-drawing vignettes paired with verses urging “Listen…” are humble and evocative of the small blessings everyone can enjoy if they stop to notice. A star-filled background suggests an emotional expansiveness inspired by hope and love. |
10. Max Ehrman aka Eon75
@maxehrman
Walgreens ~ Union Square ~ August 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Project Artivism.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Project Artivism.
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During times of crisis, a common human reaction is to question our place in the universe; in visual art this can lead to the kind of cosmic imagery that appears in many pandemic murals. Artists’ exploration of humanity’s relationship to the unknown – whether outer space, alien life, or the unexplored depths of the ocean – can help us address the philosophical question of why we exist.
Max Ehrman’s science fiction aquarium mural shows the sea teeming with organisms and wild energy swirling off the ocean surface and into the sky. Despite the dark horizon, this colorful tableau of movement and life is welcoming with its mystery and drama and presents an unusual combination of abstract and figurative forms. Equally strange and surprisingly prescient, Ehrman’s graffiti name – Eon75 (“Extermination of Normalcy” and the year he was born) – predates Covid’s disruptions. |
11. Messy Beck
@messybeck
Cheese Plus ~ Polk Gulch ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Many of the mural artists active during the pandemic wanted to spread messages of peace, love and hope. Messy Beck painted this mural in her characteristic style of expressive line drawing filled with blocks of vibrant colors against a tranquil cool blue sky that balances the figure’s warm skin tones. It is a portrait of Beck’s friend, a yoga practitioner dedicated to creating a safe space for women and people of color. Beck wanted to showcase individuals who breathe life back into the world during a time of breathlessness. In another example of muralists facilitating community support, the artist hoped this image would help her friend raise funds to support her small business. A woman blowing away flower petals is a lovely representation of grace being showered upon us all and perhaps a subtle reference to yoga breath control as a way to calm ourselves.
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12. Crystal Vielula
@crystalvielula
Thank You
Infinity Hotel ~ Marina ~ February 2021
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Infinity Hotel ~ Marina ~ February 2021
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Because the stay-at-home order only applied to people who could work from home, it obviously excluded a long list of professionals upon whom our collective survival depends. Even though expressions of gratitude have become more common in individual and collective ways, these frontline workers putting themselves at risk of infection are frequently the lowest paid. This paradox is yet another inequality laid bare by the pandemic.
Some of the overlooked include the postal workers, restaurant staff, trash collectors, delivery people, and grocery store clerks honored in Crystal Vielula’s mural. Each masked figure is framed by a stylized flower or halo in a wheat-pasted medallion. Rainbows connect them, signaling hopefulness, and serve as a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community whose position in society is also commonly discounted. |
13. Ursula Xanthe Young
@ursulaxyoung
Love Will Save the Day
Fred's Liquors ~ Mission ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Project Activism.
Fred's Liquors ~ Mission ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Project Activism.
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The summer of 2020 was a mix of difficult emotions. As artist Ursula Xanthe Young has said of her own experience and observations: “[There was] fear and anger at police brutality and systemic racism, anxiety about the future of the virus, worry over the very real effects of climate change, etc. It felt like life was on the brink.” As an antidote, she chose to highlight an uplifting theme and surround it with blossoms and butterflies.
In keeping with her unique style of flowery urban fairytale illustrations, Young’s mural depicts a doe-eyed girl with flowers in her hair against a bright rose-colored San Francisco skyline. A yellow ribbon draped over her arm extends across the cityscape with the mural’s title: Love Will Save the Day. This message of hope is offered like a ray of summer sunshine onto what could feel like a very dark time. |
14. Nigel Sussman
@nigelsussman
Games of Berkeley ~ Berkeley ~ April 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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During quarantine, sales of board games and puzzles soared as people sought ways to entertain themselves at home. Even during closure, Games of Berkeley took a light-hearted approach to its mural with imagery tied to the store mascots and logo: the Cal bear, a wizard and chess. Founded in 1980 by a UC Berkeley alum, the store specializes in role-playing games in which a bear and a wizard playing chess would be at home. With his strong ties to the local community, owner Erik Bigglestone was eager to contribute to positivity in the neighborhood. Artist Nigel Sussman felt the game of chess is an appropriate metaphor for life, especially while navigating Covid when every move must be strategic. The small skull dangling from the wizard’s staff might hint at the stakes in this particular pandemic game. Above all, the humor and whimsy of this mural evoke joyful experiences people might lack during the crisis.
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SOCIAL JUSTICE
In the summer of 2020 there were national marches protesting police brutality inflicted on people of color. An amplified wave of public support for the Black Lives Matter movement showed up in both demonstrations and murals. Street artists explored the complex and interrelated aspects of social justice as the harsh reality of historical and systemic oppression was put in higher relief by the racial and economic disparities of the pandemic. At this juncture, PtV recognized artists’ need for complete freedom to express themselves without any parameters for the message of their work. In this section of the exhibition, the muralists have provided nuanced explorations into lived experiences relating to social issues.
From memorializing victims of racial violence to celebrating marginalized communities and calling for solidarity, mural artists have directed public focus on the urgent dialogue about racism and inequality. As the news cycle further highlighted systemic problems, muralists examined the devastation of climate change-induced wildfires, gender and sexual inequality, unjust treatment of immigrants and Indigenous people and the imperative to vote and engage politically. Street artists simultaneously consoled and challenged us to change society for the better.
From memorializing victims of racial violence to celebrating marginalized communities and calling for solidarity, mural artists have directed public focus on the urgent dialogue about racism and inequality. As the news cycle further highlighted systemic problems, muralists examined the devastation of climate change-induced wildfires, gender and sexual inequality, unjust treatment of immigrants and Indigenous people and the imperative to vote and engage politically. Street artists simultaneously consoled and challenged us to change society for the better.
15. Amos Goldbaum
@amosgoldbaum
Wear a Mask
Cappstone ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Cappstone ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Like so many aspects of the pandemic, the decision to wear – or not wear – a mask became highly politicized. A century ago, this same issue was similarly polarizing during the 1918 influenza pandemic that infected over 500 million worldwide and killed an estimated 50 million people. Back then, with no vaccine or medical treatments available, global efforts were limited to the same interventions recommended during Covid: quarantine, good hygiene, use of disinfectants, good air circulation, masking and avoiding social gatherings. Then, as now, San Francisco was a leader in enforcing mask mandates.
Amos Goldbaum used an historical photograph from a Mill Valley depot as the source material for his drawing. He presents a group of citizens holding signs promoting mask wearing along with the threat of punishment for non-compliance: a fine for those colloquially referred to as “slackers.” |
16. Kate Tova
@kate_tova
California Native Glitch
Polk Gulch ~ November 2020
Courtesy of the artist.
Polk Gulch ~ November 2020
Courtesy of the artist.
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Anyone in the Bay Area during September 2020 will likely remember the day the skies turned orange and frighteningly dark because of extreme wildfires. Experiencing one of the worst years of fires in California’s history was especially traumatic during a pandemic in which we were already hyper-vigilant about our breathing. Not only were people reminded of humanity’s precarious existence in the face of climate change, but many also became acutely aware of the dangers for firefighters working tirelessly to extinguish the blazes.
Kate Tova pays tribute to both the fearless first-responders and the vegetation destroyed by the fires with a blur of California native plants, many of which are endangered species. In a kaleidoscope pattern of thickly applied paint, the suggestion of a horizon line rushes towards the viewer. This hypnotically beautiful composition can be seen as both a celebration of our natural riches and a warning about their imminent demise. |
17. Flavia Elisa Mora
@flavia_elisa_mora
El Agua es Para Todxs (Water is for Everyone)
Harris' Restaurant ~ Polk Gulch ~ September 2020
Courtesy of Harris’ Restaurant. Presented by Project Artivism.
Harris' Restaurant ~ Polk Gulch ~ September 2020
Courtesy of Harris’ Restaurant. Presented by Project Artivism.
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Many pre-existing crises were compounded by the pandemic. Among these, rising global temperatures continue to fuel migration, fires and health consequences. These have collided with refugee trauma in the southwestern United States desert. Although humanitarian groups leave water jugs, food and blankets for migrants to find, patrolling border agents frequently sabotage these supplies with lethal consequences.
Flavia Elisa Mora dedicated El Agua es Para Todxs (Water is for Everyone), her first solo mural, to all trans, non-binary, and queer BIPOC migrants, asylum seekers and refugees. Each of the three panels shows a water jug with a welcome message in Spanish, Arabic or Haitian Creole. The one displayed here says “Todxs Bienvenidxs (All Welcome)” with x’s used to express the full spectrum of gender identities. It is an homage to the humanity of these refugee communities as well as the immigration activists and organizations serving them. |
18. Amillionair
@amillionair
North Beach ~ October 2020
Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the artist.
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In the fall of 2020, with the country on tenterhooks approaching November’s presidential election, the trailblazing Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. A hallmark of Ginsburg’s life’s work was her fight for gender equality. As her replacement was being hastily confirmed, many women in particular felt her legacy was in even graver danger should Donald Trump be re-elected. Not surprisingly, numerous murals were created in Ginsberg’s honor in the wake of this devastating loss to our nation.
Amillionair presents Ginsburg in her official robe and trademark glasses, highlighting her iconic lace collar in sparkling gold leaf. An unbroken white outline tenderly describes Ginsburg’s features and contrasts with the unbounded colors in her abundant floral headdress. Above all, Amillionair wanted to express her gratitude to this equality warrior: “[I am] thankful everyday for this woman and all of the change she fought for.” |
19. Shawna Chen
@bloodygirlgang
Good Vibrations ~ Union Square ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Of course the social isolation of quarantine was difficult for many people living alone. Moreover, for communities of color, the hardships of the pandemic were compounded by the trauma inflicted by each news story about another Black or Brown person suffering from police brutality. Good Vibrations, a sex toy shop, was a fitting location for Shawna Chan to offer comfort in both respects. Three figures of varying skin tones hug each other on a dream-like cloud with a cat, a heart on its back, amplifying the sense of domestic peace they are experiencing. Surrounded by balloons which Chan sees as tears turned upside down to give hope, this scene takes place in mid-air and lifts us up with it.
While Chan and her partner worked on the mural late into the night, they were aware of protesters galvanized by the murder of George Floyd in the neighborhood. Fortunately, the mural was spared, perhaps because storefront art seems to discourage people from disturbing the boards. |
20. Twin Walls Mural Company (Marina Perez-Wong and Elaine Chu)
@twinwallsmuralcompany
Protectors of the Sacred. Prayers for Buffalo Nation.
Buffalo Exchange ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Buffalo Exchange ~ Mission ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Indigenous people suffer extremely high infection rates and poor health outcomes from Covid. This mural is a call for action to address disparities in care and provide more resources to Indigenous communities. It is also a prayer asking ancestors for assistance in non-colonial medicinal ways.
Depicting the vast New Mexico sky and plains where buffalo once roamed in abundance, this mural is an ode to the Navajo and Hopi Nations and their connection to ancestral lands. The center circle is the Navajo Nation seal signifying the Nation's protection and sovereignty within the fifty states. Radiating out from the center buffalo are symbols representing the Medicine Wheel used by Native American tribes for health and healing. Originally located on the front facade of Buffalo Exchange in the Mission, where artists Marina Perez-Wong and Elaine Chu have strong roots and where the population has also been disproportionately affected by Covid, the mural includes a Lowrider as an emblem of the neighborhood. |
Marina Perez-Wong is battling advanced-stage breast cancer. Please consider donating to her Go Fund Me page.
21. Mel Waters
@melwaters
Essential
Aggregate Supply ~ Mission ~ May 2020`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Aggregate Supply ~ Mission ~ May 2020`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Periodically during the pandemic, people have emptied grocery shelves and hoarded products, heightening awareness of the critical role of the supply chain to collective wellbeing. Yet somehow the essential workers in food production have been largely overlooked. Because many people in these jobs are immigrants, they have been rendered all the more invisible.
In this mural Mel Waters honors farmers, saying: “This is for our farm workers worldwide. I wanted to show my appreciation for what they go through. More so now. Low wages, at risk. Yet still grinding it out. Just to keep food in our mouths. Just a simple thanks to some hard working people. It’s the least I can do, with what I love to do!” On the right panel “Essential” hovers above the field where three hunched backs in red, white and blue suggest these farmers are as American as anyone else in this country. |
22. Maria Fatima Urbi
@aka_chinita
Still We Rise
Good Vibrations ~ Soma ~ March 2021`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Good Vibrations ~ Soma ~ March 2021`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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One of the many horrifying trends during the pandemic is a rise in hate crime against Asian Americans fueled by harmful rhetoric blaming China for Covid. Maria Fatima Urbi painted her mural as an offering to communities of color in San Francisco, especially Asian American Pacific Islanders. Even during the time she worked on this mural, the city reeled from violent attacks on AAPI elders.
The mural features Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, crowned in vivid flowers. As the deity responsible for lava that both destroys the landscape in its path and creates new land by enlarging islands, she embodies the duality of nature’s forces. Because Urbi shows Pele against the blazing sun, facing the words “Still We Rise,” she presents a hopeful message for where this difficult time might lead us. |
23. Tanya Wischerath
@tanyawischerath
Union Made ~ Castro ~ November 2020`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Castro Art Project and presented by Project Artivism.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Castro Art Project and presented by Project Artivism.
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In the wake of the summer protests, many people wondered what progress would be achieved on social equality issues. Cleverly adopting the imagery of tarot cards that are often used for fortune telling, Tanya Wischerath’s mural, finished just before the presidential election, offers a prediction.
In some tarot decks, a “trump” suit includes a card known as “The Fool,” perhaps an oblique reference to the former president who seems to be the figure falling from the tower in the center panel. Wischerath has adapted the imagery for the “Justice” and “Judgment” cards, inserting the transgender rights activist Janetta Johnson as a judge, and writer and activist James Baldwin as the angel, respectively. Together the panels form a political narrative centered on our nation’s founding principle of equality for all. |
24. Donavon Brutus
@donavonmadethat
Donatello Hotel ~ Union Square ~ July 2020`
Courtesy of the Donatello Hotel. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the Donatello Hotel. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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The racial mix of participants in the summer 2020 demonstrations distinguished these protests from the 1960’s civil rights movement. Donavon Brutus, a professional animator/illustrator who had not made a physical painting for a decade, was emboldened by this new diversity of voices joining his personal fight to return to his traditional practice with this mural. Brutus said, "In the weeks following the Deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd there’s been a swelling of support for #blacklivesmatter. I've found the paths to that support interesting. Many have been fighting since before I was born, paving the way. Some joined the fight early as they knew right from wrong. Some have shown support in short temporary bursts. Some are allies in solidarity, for others the fight is personal." In his mural, interlocking arms in varying shades of grey find their individual paths toward the same goal of racial justice represented as an arrowhead of upraised fists.
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25. Renée DeCarlo & Shannon Glasheen
@studioreneedecarlo & @shannon_glasheen_art
The Armory Club ~ Mission ~ November 2020`
Courtesy of the artists. Presented by by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artists. Presented by by Paint the Void.
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Intense anticipation and broad engagement around the 2020 election resulted in historically high voter turnout, despite myriad challenges getting to the polls during a pandemic. Many artists supported democracy by channeling their energy into works imploring people to vote.
This panel by Renée DeCarlo and Shannon Glasheen was a serendipitous collaboration on the streets using pre-existing materials and artist connections. Multi-media and textile artist DeCarlo had leftover circular boards painted with abstract, planetary-like patterns from another mural project. She stenciled “VOTE” on them and posted them around the city. Glasheen, who usually produces recycled bicycle-part street sculptures, had remnants of fabric that DeCarlo had donated to her earlier in the pandemic to make face masks. After seeing DeCarlo’s panels around town, Glasheen decided to cover one of her sculptures in the fabric and hang it next to a panel of DeCarlo’s. |
26. Pancho Peskador & Kilimunoz
@panchopescador & @kilimunoz
The Soul Mandala Writer
Walgreens ~ Union Square ~ August 2020`
Courtesy of the artists. Presented by by Project Artivism.
Walgreens ~ Union Square ~ August 2020`
Courtesy of the artists. Presented by by Project Artivism.
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Although polemic debates about immigration and the role in society of undocumented citizens–particularly from Latin American countries–predate the pandemic, government policies and rhetoric during Covid further inflamed xenophobia in America. In reaction, the calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) became even more urgent as people questioned strengthening the Southern border while a pandemic also endangered migrants’ lives.
In The Soul Mandala Writer Pancho Peskador and Kilimunoz offer an optimistic vision of how people might find a safe harbor. In a magical desert landscape illuminated by the light of fireflies, a young girl draws a “map of the soul” as a way to center herself and provide spiritual guidance. Her pictorial tattoos also incorporate the diagram. The beauty of her repose belies the strength of her resolve to “melt the ICE,” as is written on her arm. |
27. Bianca Rivera
@biancabonk.ai
Solidarity Is Not a Trend
SFMTA Central Subway Project ~ Union Square ~ October 2020`
Courtesy of SFMTA. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
SFMTA Central Subway Project ~ Union Square ~ October 2020`
Courtesy of SFMTA. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Any examination of racial justice must confront the consequences of America’s long history of violence inflicted on all communities of color. Many saw the opportunity for a shared fight that could gain strength from solidarity. Like the racial mix of protesters who joined their voices in the streets, a diversity of muralists passionately responded to this moment.
Puerto Rican-born artist Bianca Rivera focused her first public art installation on the many lives lost to police brutality in the Bay Area, which she now calls home. She was inspired to paint Solidarity Is Not A Trend by a news article stating the police had killed 110 people in the region since 2015. She memorializes 12 of them in this mural and urges us to “Keep the Fight Alive.” By honoring local, lesser known victims she highlights the devastating impact of collective loss as commensurate with the societal commitment required to combat it. |
EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE
Mural artists not only hold a mirror to society’s failures, they also address pervasive emotions induced by living during a pandemic. Across the globe, humanity is experiencing an unprecedented amount of distress and turmoil. When artists lay bare these difficult feelings in public, they can provide comfort of psychological solidarity within hardship. Some works in this group offer a simple message of perseverance; several express an intense longing for contact with loved ones. Others memorialize the passing of national figures, beloved local community members and activists.
The pandemic’s emotional strain is compounded by the necessary precautions for protecting ourselves and our communities. Masking, social distancing, abstaining from gatherings and events have become ingrained in most people’s lives. Even with the best intentions, however, it is difficult to adopt and sustain these practices indefinitely because of our human need for social connection. From the outset, artists have frequently featured masks as subtle encouragement and support. At the end of 2020 PtV received a grant from the City of San Francisco for an additional 30 murals to creatively promote Covid safety protocols.
Mural artists have been beacons shining light on what has happened around us and weaving it into the fabric of our daily lives on the street. Not for the first time, artists who are well-accustomed to facing unknowns in their creative process have been in the vanguard of emotional and social changes wrought by Covid.
The pandemic’s emotional strain is compounded by the necessary precautions for protecting ourselves and our communities. Masking, social distancing, abstaining from gatherings and events have become ingrained in most people’s lives. Even with the best intentions, however, it is difficult to adopt and sustain these practices indefinitely because of our human need for social connection. From the outset, artists have frequently featured masks as subtle encouragement and support. At the end of 2020 PtV received a grant from the City of San Francisco for an additional 30 murals to creatively promote Covid safety protocols.
Mural artists have been beacons shining light on what has happened around us and weaving it into the fabric of our daily lives on the street. Not for the first time, artists who are well-accustomed to facing unknowns in their creative process have been in the vanguard of emotional and social changes wrought by Covid.
28. Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith aka Wolfe Pack
@wolfe_.pack
SFMTA Central Subway Project ~ Union Square ~ September 2020`
Courtesy of SFMTA. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of SFMTA. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Rage is a natural and powerful reaction. It can be destructive but, like a fire that clears a forest for new growth, it can also be regenerative and motivate activism to protect ourselves and others from future harm.
Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith goes by the moniker Wolfe Pack and is fascinated by wolves’ feral nature and protective instincts for their pack. She believes a connection with our animal instincts can heal separations in our society and frequently represents hybrid creatures. In her mural the power of these women-wolves is expressed in their ferocious stare and snarl as well as in bold, explosive brushwork and colors. Wolfe Pack says she is channeling the physicality of these figures and their pack mentality to comment on our culture's disconnection from our sensual and emotional being. |
29. Nathan Richard Phelps
@nathanrichardphelps
Hotel Zelos ~ SOMA ~ May 2020`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Many of the abstract murals created during the pandemic featured organic shapes and bright colors that had an optimistic feel. Veteran muralist Nathan Richard Phelps found a way to convey a more difficult emotion: the disquiet caused by losing the stability of the “before” time. The explosion of sharp edged shapes bursting from the center of this mural could be seen as a window pane shattering, the way our lives might feel when they disintegrate suddenly. Phelps’ previous work was primarily black and white but recently he has wanted to incorporate more color into his painting. In this mural he chose blue to echo the hotel’s interior design. The cool primary color also stabilizes the centrifugal force radiating outward from the composition.
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30. Nick Sirotich
@nickelopsus
Madrone Art Bar ~ NoPa ~ February 2021`
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural sponsored by Alamo Square Neighborhood Association and Divisadero Merchants Association.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural sponsored by Alamo Square Neighborhood Association and Divisadero Merchants Association.
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The grief of losing loved ones during the pandemic was compounded by our inability to mourn in community. Madrone Art Bar organized this mural to commemorate local legend Curtis Bryant, known as the Mayor of Divisadero or “CB,” who passed away in November 2020 from injuries after a fall. He was a unifying figure in the Alamo Square neighborhood ever since he moved there in 1973 and could often be found at Madrone holding court for anyone who wanted to talk, even after a stroke in 2019 caused him to stop drinking. Mayor London Breed called him a friend and said in an SF Gate article: “He was always impeccably dressed. I loved hanging out with him. Everybody loved him.” Nick Sirotich’s photo-based mural shows CB in a characteristically eclectic, brightly colored outfit and holding a microphone. His magnetism was such that even his Centralia, IL hometown news station ran an obituary.
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31. yon
@yonmeister
F. Dorian ~ Hayes Valley ~ April 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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After more than a year since the declaration of emergency and shelter-in-place order, it may be difficult now for us to recall our visceral reaction to the world changing overnight. The streets suddenly became quiet; the collective mood abruptly shifted; and daily life activities changed for most people. Nothing looked, felt or happened in a way we had experienced before. “Unprecedented” was used so often to describe the moment that it was rendered meaningless.
Mirroring our collective stunned psyche, yon’s whimsical “homies” stare out at us with mouths agape. A range of characters – wizard, Muni operator, Viking and guy in a beanie – all display the same shocked expression suggesting the universality of this reaction. Humorously, we might wonder which of these people can save us, with a respectful nod to the crucial role played by essential workers like Muni drivers. |
32. Justin Hall
@justinhallcomics
Oh Brad!
440 Castro ~ Castro ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by the Castro Merchants Association.
440 Castro ~ Castro ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by the Castro Merchants Association.
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Neighborhood associations quickly recognized the valuable opportunity to install murals on boarded up storefronts in their districts. These initiatives became community-building events bringing organizations, businesses and residents together to beautify their neighborhoods. In the Castro many local organizations were involved in this effort which resulted in a high concentration of murals there, including this one by Justin Hall.
Hall’s mural honors subcultures within the queer community and speaks to the longing for physical contact through an appropriation of a pose and name from Roy Lichtenstein’s Pop Art. Hall honors the types of patrons at the 440 bar where the mural was displayed with a big hairy “bear” man, and the colors blue, black, white along with the hearts that refer to the Leather Pride Flag. |
33. Jen Bloomer
@radicistudios
How We Care Shapes Who We Are
Zuni Cafe ~ Hayes Valley ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Zuni Cafe ~ Hayes Valley ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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This mural and the process of its creation embody the beautiful aspiration that characterized the unifying first months of the pandemic. In May 2020, after spending endless hours caring for others at the hospital, medical resident Jessica Chow found time to connect with PtV about organizing a group of altruistic physicians to paint a mural. Activist artist Jen Bloomer conferred with the doctors about the message they wanted to convey and developed this composition to illustrate a “circle of care” in which each member of a community passes along a compassionate act. These physicians who had already given so much of themselves to support their patients, wanted to express gratitude for all the ways people have helped each other: by sheltering in place, wearing masks to stay healthy, delivering food to those in need, or helping others grieve. Each interaction builds on the next and creates a self-sustaining ripple effect that shapes who we are, as cited in the title.
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34. Simón Malvaez
@simonmalveaz
Aquí Estamos (Here We Are)
Chow ~ Castro ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Chow ~ Castro ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Because of the travel restrictions imposed during Covid, people were unable to visit their distant family and friends. Socializing over Zoom might help, but people felt the loss of their physical connections. Mexican-born artist Simón Malvaez’s mural for the restaurant Chow includes portraits of his family members depicted in his distinctive Bauhaus-inspired style. Outlines are animated by primary colors to represent the primal feelings – such as love, fear and happiness – these relationships engender. The original mural included three panels, each with a family member and statement in Spanish below: his mother (shown here) in Aquí Estamos (Here We Are); his sibling in Existimos (We Exist); and his father in Te Amamos (We Love You). Even for viewers who cannot physically be with their loved ones, Malvaez hoped to inspire the feeling of security children might have with family members who love and protect them.
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35. Creative Shields
@creativeshields
Puccini & Pinetti ~ Union Square ~ July 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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In response to the hardships of the pandemic, people frequently sought solace in cultures and systems of belief from their personal heritage. Creative Shields is an artist who traces his lineage to West Africa and takes the Ghanian Adinkra symbols as his birthright. In this mural he has depicted Sankofa as the central yellow figure in the form of a bird bending its neck back on itself to symbolize the importance of learning from the past. Shields chose the red, black and green palette – a reference to the Pan-African flag – because it reflected the mood during the summer protests. The galactic setting of this imagery is another element of Shields’ Afrofuturism aesthetic connecting science fiction, history and fantasy to African ancestry as a way to imagine a better future for all people. With its multiple levels of reference, this mural reminds us that even in these “unprecedented” times, our rich cultural experience and knowledge have much to teach us.
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36. Jordan Herren
@jherren
Toad Hall ~ Castro ~ August 2020
Courtesy of the artist.
Courtesy of the artist.
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Covid has a particular resonance for the gay community which suffered devastation from the AIDS epidemic. During both outbreaks the social isolation could be dire and friendships form a literal lifeline.
Jordan Herren created a large mural for Toad Hall, a Castro bar named in homage to one that had existed at a previous location in the neighborhood during the AIDS epidemic. Herren depicts iconic scenes from the Frog and Toad children’s book series by Arnold Lobel who died of AIDS. In the section shown here, the friends drink tea together against a backdrop of San Francisco landmarks described in rainbow colors and at disorienting angles. The tranquility of their simple act of companionship, whether platonic or romantic, is especially poignant during pandemic quarantine. Thematically and compositionally this work has strong links to the neighborhood and business where it was originally displayed as well as to our collective memories of childhood. |
37. Inga Bard
@ingabard
Frances ~ Castro ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Many of the small businesses that boarded up were neighborhood institutions with dedicated local patrons. The closure of these gathering places was a loss for their community. Inga Bard had frequented the restaurant Frances in the Castro and wanted to give back to the business with her mural. Although a monochrome palette is unusual for pandemic murals, Bard uses shades of blue to evoke the melancholy of this difficult time and elicit nostalgia for the pre-pandemic joys of togetherness. Perhaps as a nod to the character of the Castro, the kissing lovers panel shown here substitutes two male figures into the composition of a famous Life magazine photograph commemorating the end of WWII in Europe. Other panels (not shown) depict women relaxing in a cafe, including two memorials: one to Bard’s dear friend’s grandmother and the other to Madame Clavae, a local community leader.
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38. Chris Granillo
@chrisgranilloart
The Golden Squirrel Pub ~ Berkeley ~ June 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Because of uncertainty and anxiety, especially in the early days of the pandemic, people started stockpiling food and supplies like beans, disinfectants and toilet paper. While the subject of Chris Granillo’s mural for the Golden Squirrel Pub is a direct reference to the business’ name, a squirrel amassing acorns is a fitting representation of this cultural moment of widespread hoarding. People may consider squirrels cute, but this squirrel’s enormous size, defensive stance and glaring eyes are menacing. This tense moment facing a gigantic hungry squirrel could be a proxy for the devastating food insecurity suffered by many during the pandemic.
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39. Seibot
@seibot
Emperor Norton's Boozeland ~ Tenderloin ~ January 2021
Courtesy of Joe LaPenna. Sponsored by Emperor Norton’s Boozeland.
Courtesy of Joe LaPenna. Sponsored by Emperor Norton’s Boozeland.
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In May 2020 KT Seibert, known as Seibot, lived next door to Emperor Norton's Boozeland and had known the owner for several years. They volunteered to paint a mural for their neighbor as a favor and as a creative outlet during lockdown. After their earlier mural was damaged, Seibot utilized the opportunity for a drastically new composition at the same location in February 2021.
It was at this moment when the Covid vaccine became available, and there was hopeful anticipation that the end of the pandemic might be in sight. Seibot’s new painting emphasizes renewal in both subject matter and style: a two-headed snake, symbolic of rebirth because it sheds its skin, slithers across Seibot’s signature flower motif. The stars on the snake’s back and the tattoo imagery-inspired composition embody Seibot’s quintessentially creepy but beautiful aesthetic while incorporating the natural and cosmic themes frequently present in pandemic murals. |
40. Brandon Joseph Baker & Lady Henze
@brandonjosephbaker & @ladyhenze
Birth and Death
Zeitgeist ~ Mission ~ December 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural located at Zeitgeist.
Zeitgeist ~ Mission ~ December 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural located at Zeitgeist.
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In the beginning of Covid, the numbers of national and international fatalities were reported constantly. Even if you did not know someone who died, you certainly had heard of the illness’ virulence. And yet, the subjects of death and suffering rarely showed up in pandemic murals. These murals that photographer Brandon Joseph Baker and painter Lady Henze executed for Zeitgeist are a striking exception.
In 2019 Baker created the series Nuclear Spectrum by overlaying historical images from the nuclear testing program in the United States with studio photographs of a model. The titles of the composite images – also used as the titles of these murals – indicate the grim reality of nuclear warfare’s destruction and suffering that prefigured the disastrous impact of Covid. Contrasting Baker’s monochrome wheat-pasted images, Henze added rays of gradient pinks – a favorite color of both artists – to the murals. The resulting collaboration is as visually seductive as it is thematically dark. |
41. Brandon Joseph Baker & Lady Henze
@brandonjosephbaker & @ladyhenze
Sacrament of Science
Zeitgeist ~ Mission ~ December 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural located at Zeitgeist.
Zeitgeist ~ Mission ~ December 2020
Courtesy of the artists. Sponsored by Paint the Void. Replica of original mural located at Zeitgeist.
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In the beginning of Covid, the numbers of national and international fatalities were reported constantly. Even if you did not know someone who died, you certainly had heard of the illness’ virulence. And yet, the subjects of death and suffering rarely showed up in pandemic murals. These murals that photographer Brandon Joseph Baker and painter Lady Henze executed for Zeitgeist are a striking exception.
In 2019 Baker created the series Nuclear Spectrum by overlaying historical images from the nuclear testing program in the United States with studio photographs of a model. The titles of the composite images – also used as the titles of these murals – indicate the grim reality of nuclear warfare’s destruction and suffering that prefigured the disastrous impact of Covid. Contrasting Baker’s monochrome wheat-pasted images, Henze added rays of gradient pinks – a favorite color of both artists – to the murals. The resulting collaboration is as visually seductive as it is thematically dark. |
42. Nicole Hayden
@nicolehaydenart
Brass Tacks ~ Hayes Valley ~ April 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Brass Tacks.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Brass Tacks.
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Like many people under the shelter-in-place order, artists were out of work and anxiously stuck inside. Some were able to channel this energy into finding new ways to make art. Boarded-up storefronts were blank canvases on which they processed difficult emotions and found a purpose for being outside.
Never having worked in public before, Nicole Hayden decided to fill some empty boards in her Hayes Valley neighborhood where she has lived since 2004. Muraling allowed her to meet more people in the area and strengthen her sense of community, paradoxically widening her social circle during a time of isolation. In this, her first mural, she enlivens a Japanese-inspired misty landscape with touches of blue sky. A buck gazes over a precipice, facing the unknown from a precarious place in much the same way the world did in the early days of the pandemic. |
43. Phillip Hua
@philliphua
Apart Now, Together Soon
Imperial Garden ~ Portola ~ February 2021
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Imperial Garden ~ Portola ~ February 2021
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Phillip Hua’s three-panel Apart Now, Together Soon mural quotes the pandemic catchphrase with a style and subject matter elegantly evoking narrative screen painting. In the first part (not on view) cranes are separated by gold frames; on a middle transition panel a bird takes off while two others remain in the foreground. Finally, the largest panel shows a flock of cranes aloft at the dawn of a new day as the broken flakes of their enclosures fall through the air. Hua depicts birds as a metaphor for the human spirit breaking free from captivity.
Through a community webpage, Hua asked his Portola neighbors what they were looking forward to after Covid; their responses surround the middle door panel. From intimate (“Being Touched” and “Hugging”) and ordinary desires (“Eating Out” and “Traveling”) to more specific activities (“Singing at Karaoke” and “Drag Queen Bingo”), the longing for post-pandemic life is spelled out. |
44. Ronnie Buders and Sam Flores
@tigerbuter & @samagram12
Dogpatch Saloon ~ Dogpatch ~ May 2020
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
Courtesy of the artist. Sponsored by Paint the Void.
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Bars, restaurants and their staff were particularly hard-hit by the pandemic. They were among the first businesses to close; they needed significant investment to reopen with outdoor dining; and their low-paid and frequently undocumented employees often did not qualify for unemployment benefits. Compounding all this was the difficulty of scheduling a reopening date because of an unpredictable infection rate. For many businesses the uncertainty and fear were debilitating.
Dogpatch Saloon, established in 1912 at a time when the neighborhood was industrial, has always strived to bring a little happiness to the community. Ronnie Buders and Sam Flores created a mural that includes a quote from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address from 1933: “The only thing to fear is fear itself.” This often-quoted adage from the Great Depression recognizes the challenges faced throughout time while underscoring that fear does not determine our fate. This reassuring yet realistic message is as relevant now as it was almost 100 years ago. |
45. Eli the Man
@1elitheman1
Weird Year, Hang in there SF
Big Swingin' Cycles ~ Polk Gulch ~ August 2020
Courtesy of Big Swingin’ Cycles. Presented by Project Artivism.
Big Swingin' Cycles ~ Polk Gulch ~ August 2020
Courtesy of Big Swingin’ Cycles. Presented by Project Artivism.
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Although personal experiences and the effect of the pandemic on people’s lives have varied widely, everyone has been impacted in some way. Whatever the degree of an individual’s economic, family or emotional hardship, it has been difficult to endure this collective trauma. Every day could be a muddle of events and feelings.
Eli The Man sees his art as “an interpretation of [his] environment as well as an escape from it.” In his characteristically playful and strongly graphic style, he depicts a figure with bulging eyes and limbs literally tied up in knots, a fitting analogy for living with constant uncertainty, confusion, and anxiety. The title Weird Year, Hang in there SF provides encouragement and a light-hearted, understated description of a period the city will not easily forget. |
LIVE MURALS
Josue Rojas
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Christina Xu
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OTHER MURALS
Exterior Mural: Elliott C Nathan
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Cafe Mural: Strider Patton
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