Hues and views

The effect a mural can have on an observer can be gauged from this picture of an East Timorese artist painting a mural in Dili. The vibrant colours, the larger-than-life impact – all lead into a feeling being awestruck.

But being awestruck is not enough. Murals can also educate your mind. Murals in the streets of East Timor tend to be pretty attempts at beautifying the semi-urban areas. They try to approximate its touristy attractions, the pristine beaches and lush highlands. Globally though murals serve a larger purpose. They exist where people live and work and affect their daily lives.

They have been used as an effective tool for social emancipation or achieving a political goal. Often, the visual effects are an enticement to attract public attention to social issues.

The significant aspect is that they bring art into the public sphere. Due to the size, cost and work involved in creating a mural, muralists must often be commissioned by a sponsor. Often it is the local government or a business house that commissions such works. But political convictions have fuelled any number of famous murals all over the world. Northern Ireland contains arguably the most famous political murals.

Despite the difficulties involved, many artists take up the challenge of painting a mural as their work gets a wide audience. It is also art that gets instant feedback and does not depend on finding space in an art gallery. Significantly, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Claude Monet, Raphael, Titian and more recently Diego Rivera and Andrea Mantegna made their reputation painting murals.