ABSTRACT
Murals—paintings on walls—have a long history. Among the oldest forms of art made by humans are rock paintings created tens of thousands of years ago in Africa, Asia, and Europe. As human settlement patterns evolved and people constructed buildings and cities, they often decorated their walls, inside or out, with pigment, creating both abstract designs and figurative imagery. Some of the best-known mural painting traditions are those that emerged in ancient Egypt and China, on the walls of tombs; in early modern Italy—specifically the set of techniques known as fresco painting, used in churches, public buildings, and residences; and in modern Mexico following the Mexican Revolution. The artistic style and political orientation of the Mexican muralists inspired U.S. artists, including several well-known African American artists, beginning in the early 1930s. With this long history, what is distinctive about what came to be known as the “community mural movement” that began in American cities in the late 1960s (and continues on today)?
