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Hello, Old Paint - Murals Across
Texas
By John Troesser, Texas Escapes editor
You're never far from murals in Texas. They can be just around the
corner or in rather remote locations. Aboriginal artists decorated
Seminole Canyon 4,000 years ago about the same time their talented
cousins painted the limestone banks along the Concho River. They
had no way of knowing their art would inspire an entirely different
culture centuries later to name a very different village Paint Rock.
Hueco Tanks, just east of El Paso is another must-see on the outdoor
gallery circuit for ancient art.
In 19th Century Texas painting on wood, stone and brick came into
its own, but was primarily used for signage or simply building identification.
Art wasn't necessary when businesses had little competition. As
urban centers grew and brick replaced board, sign-painters got artistic
to woo customers for their merchant clients.
Products advertised themselves on the sides of buildings where they
were usually sold. Tobacco companies were the major urban advertisers,
until companies like the National Biscuit Company started subliminally
telling people: "Uneeda" Biscuit. The floodgates opened when the
idea caught on with soft drink manufacturers and the deluge of soft
drink signs so saturated America that today they remain a nostalgic
reminder of small town life.
Art by the square foot.
During the Great Depression the government employed artists through
a program managed by the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts.
The program let local artists compete for commissions for murals
depicting the history, heritage and/or flavor of the particular
town or city. One hundred and twenty-five commissions were granted
and seventy-six of these are extant today.
Mexican artist Diego Rivera returned from Europe in the late twenties
and resurrected color and style from Mayan and Aztec tombs. His
murals in New York and San Francisco made headlines and at least
two American post office artists traveled to Mexico to study Rivera's
techniques.
The Mural in Texas Today
In recent years small towns and cities across Texas have discovered
that murals are among the most cost-effective plans for self- promotion.
In towns with fire damage, murals decorate pocket parks, or cover
blackened walls. In many cases, modern murals perform the same functions
as their post office relatives - telling the story of regional history
and heritage. Courthouses, libraries, and depots that no longer
exist can be seen by generations that never got to see them the
first time around.
The city of Breckenridge was proclaimed "The Official Mural Capital
of Texas"by the Texas Legislature in January, 2001. Their eight
detailed murals were painted by muralist Billy Ines and were inspired
by vintage Breckenridge photographs.
Today in Texas murals are enjoying a popularity that shows no signs
of slowing down. You can link several towns together and see dozens
of murals in a single tour. The subjects range from sophisticated
and smart to the bucolic and naÔve. Why stay at home and stare
at your walls when you can drive to a small town and stare at theirs?
www.texasescapes.com
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