Murals and Street Art

"This film joyfully profiles the life and work of celebrated artist Edythe Boone whose colorful murals portray some of the major events of our time and illustrate the transformative power of art.

Long before Black Lives Matter became a rallying cry, septuagenarian Boone embodied that truth as an accomplished artist and educator. From humble Harlem roots, the indefatigable Boone pursued her love of art and her dream of someday creating a new color - "a color that no one had ever seen before."

. . . Filmed over five years, A NEW COLOR illuminates how the passionate, heart-felt work of one resilient woman can reverberate throughout a community and inspire both art and a more powerful chorus for justice."

In 2009, the Joan Miro Foundation in Barcelona organized an exhibition that brought together a group of contemporary mural artists from very different cultural and stylistic backgrounds. This documentary follows these artists as they work and discuss the use of an empty wall as a canvas and expressive medium.

The participants included women from Djajibine Soninke, Mauritania; New York Times illustrator and editor Brian Rea; Thai muralist Sakarin Krue-On; Mexican artist Jeronimo Hagerman; Nuria + Eltono from Spain; and many others. In all, twelve artists participated of the exhibit.

View the fantastic murals at Cacaxtla in central Mexico, arguably the finest in Mesoamerica. Then look at the famous Temple of the Feathered Serpent in Xochicalco, which, like the Cacaxtla murals, represents the influence of the vanished Teotihuacan and classic Maya cultures.

An innovative and stylish take on the impact street art has in Northern Ireland, TOGETHER IN PIECES presents infamous murals and political slogans that have taunted its communities for over 40 years, yet which are being slowly transformed by a graffiti revolution.

In Derry, the birthplace of "the Troubles" and also the cradle of the Peace Process, creativity and expression transform didactic public art into a vehicle of choice, liberation and opportunity for young people to escape the tyranny of the past and bring the power of culture into their future. TOGETHER IN PIECES captures this transformation and reflects an emerging vibrant Northern Ireland which is not part of the 'official' narrative promoted by institutions, even today.

Next: A Primer in Urban Painting is a documentary exploration of graffiti-based visual art as a world culture. The filmmaker profiles the art form in nine countries including USA, Canada, France, Holland, Germany, England, Spain, Japan and Brazil. A combination of verite moments and interviews with painters, "writers", designers, documentarians and other participants within the subculture, the film conveys the dynamism and creative brilliance of this important emerging artistic movement.

Young, up and coming street artist Budda is on a path to develop his skills as a portraiture artist, yet has to overcome the challenges set upon him by the society he lives in today, as well as the law. Budda recognises the benefits of following the rules set out by the original street artists of New York, and is inspired by multi disciplinary artists Jean Basquiat and Matt Adnate, both of whom worked in major cities where the art movement is prominent. Having never left the centre of Australia, Budda is taken on a journey to Melbourne where he develops a large-scale mural with one of his idols.

From the streets of Bristol to the caverns of London and beyond, BanksyDoc finds the truths and explores the impact that the world's most famous graffiti artist has had on the art world, on the expression of protest and satire, and on the perception of what you can do with a spray can and a stencil. Furthermore, this documentary explores the highly active art collector's world and how the celebrity factor shockingly influences value.

In his short career, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a phenomenon. He became notorious for his graffiti art under the moniker Samo in the late 1970s on the Lower East Side scene, sold his first painting to Deborah Harry for $200 and became best friends with Andy Warhol. Appreciated by both the art cognoscenti and the public, Basquiat was launched into international stardom. However, soon his cult status began to override the art that had made him famous in the first place. Director Tamra Davis pays homage to her friend in this definitive documentary, but also delves into Basquiat as an iconoclast. His dense, bebop-influenced neoexpressionist work emerged while minimalist, conceptual art was the fad; as a successful black artist, he was constantly confronted by racism and misconceptions. Much can be gleaned from insider interviews and archival footage, but it is Basquiat's own words and work that powerfully convey the mystique and allure of both the artist and the man.

Inspired by the collective nature of fresco, Diego Rivera paints sociopolitical murals in the 20th century. Advances in painting materials lead modern muralists to abandon true fresco painting.

Experts remove the backing of trompe l'oeil paintings. Sourcing the mulberry bark paper was a challenge. The Palace Museum team traveled to Anhui Province to find a paper maker.

Rivera and Kahlo experienced marital tension. View his painting depicting the artist as a worker, builder, and craftsman.

Painting America was his life’s work, and Thomas Hart Benton was at the apex of his career when he painted Social History of the State of Missouri. This program explores this, the most ambitious mural by America’s foremost muralist, and its depiction of Missouri’s history from pioneer days to the Depression era. The program is narrated by Benton (using recorded interviews), with additional commentary by historian Bob Priddy.

When director Tony Silver and co-producer Henry Chalfant delivered the broadcast version of their prize-winning film to PBS in 1983, the world received its first full immersion in the phenomenon that had taken over New York City. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival, Style Wars documents hip hop culture, with an emphasis on graffiti, with B-boying and rapping covered as well. This film highlights the urban landscape as physically transformed by graffiti artists who invented a new visual language to express both their individuality, and the voice of their community. In Style Wars, New York's ramshackle subway system is their public playground, battleground, and spectacular artistic canvas. As MC's, DJ's, and B-boys rock the city with new sounds and new moves, we see street corner breakdance battles turn into performance art. Musicians, designers, and those interested in urban culture will love this film! (126 minutes)

Kofie works on a portrait and discusses his artistic development. View a poetic montage about the city's urban reality.

Streaming online for free.

Renowned artist Meg Saligman has been commissioned to paint one of the largest murals in the country on M.L. King Boulevard in Chattanooga, TN. As the artists attempt to reflect the rich and complex racial history of the neighborhood,they encounter a community at the crossroads of change, and one that is reflective of America’s yet unfulfilled dream of equality for all.

This story explores the intersection of public art and redevelopment from the perspectives of local residents and non-local artists who join together to ask: “What do we want to preserve in our collective memories?”

Absorbing images of vibrant street art from New York, Paris, Berlin and Sao Paulo reveal how urban artists elevate the mundane into a thing of beauty.

Public art transforms spaces and connects people, revitalizing its surroundings. Immerse yourself in these talks that morph communities into masterpieces.

TED-Ed Original. Sept. 8, 2016.
"Spray-painted subway cars, tagged bridges, mural-covered walls – graffiti pops up boldly throughout our cities. And it turns out: it’s nothing new. Graffiti has been around for thousands of years. And across that span of time, it’s raised the same questions we debate now: Is it art? Is it vandalism? Kelly Wall describes the history of graffiti."

TEDxHSG. Jan 23, 2017.
"Historically, street art has always been the meeting point for revolution. But how has it developed? Is it still linked to change? According to Mary McCarthy, this is unquestionable. In her talk, she explains how street has become the place, the medium and the message."

TEDGlobal. October, 2014.
"Artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn create community art by painting entire neighborhoods, and involving those who live there -- from the favelas of Rio to the streets of North Philadelphia. What's made their projects succeed? In this funny and inspiring talk, the artists explain their art-first approach -- and the importance of a neighborhood barbecue."

TED. March, 2012.
"Street artist JR made a wish in 2011: Join me in a worldwide photo project to show the world its true face. One year after making his TED Prize wish, he shows how giant posters of human faces, pasted in public, are connecting communities, making change, and turning the world inside out."

TEDSummit. June, 2016.
"eL Seed fuses Arabic calligraphy with graffiti to paint colorful, swirling messages of hope and peace on buildings from Tunisia to Paris. The artist and TED Fellow shares the story of his most ambitious project yet: a mural painted across 50 buildings in Manshiyat Naser, a district of Cairo, Egypt, that can only be fully seen from a nearby mountain."

TED. Jul 23, 2015.
"Born in France to Tunisian parents, eL Seed delights in juggling multiple cultures, languages and identities. Not least in his artwork, which sets Arabic poetry in a style inspired by street art and graffiti. In this quietly passionate talk, the artist and TED Fellow describes his central ambition: to create art so beautiful it needs no translation."