"STREET MURALS. THE MOST EXCITING ART OF THE CITIES OF AMERICA, BRITAIN AND WESTERN EUROPE" par Volker BARTHELMEH. Editions Alfred A. Knopf. 1982. Imprimé aux USA. Grand in-8, dos droit, couverture souple cartonnée photo (état d'usage). 120 pages. Texte en anglais, illustré de 112 reproductions photographiques couleurs, pleine page.

 

"…AIl these murals clearly demonstrate a conscious attempt on the part of the artists not to separate their art from the problems of the society in which they live. To create only murals that are community based would, however, be as one-sided as following the theory of functional art. To claim that mural art effects lasting change would be an overstatement which would ignore the effects of social conditioning. It is, after all, hard to believe that a mural will transmit lasting cultural pride or even dignity to the many people living a desolate, marginal existence in urban ghettos, especially in the U.S. Even the community-building process of jointly creating a mural seldom has a lasting effect, Since the concept of neighborhood or community is no longer valid in many cities. On the Other hand, to look only for substantive murals would disregard the expectations of a large part of the population for art that has meaning but is also enjoyable to look at. Expectations that today's artists rarely or never take into account. In my opinion, these expectations are not really answered by the much-quoted contention that a work of art can only exist as a work of art for the person able to possess - i.e., to decode - it. This is at best an attempt at mystification on the part of the artist and the art expert. It is, however, an incontrovertible fact that some individuals are barred access to art as a result of differences in social conditioning (e.g., family, school, profession). The opinion "Art and life are one entity,' which Robert Henri advanced at the beginning of this century, will probably remain a Utopian ideal. Nevertheless, mural art can offer an excellent opportunity to reduce the distance between art and everyday life."

 

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