ANBI
1196
Street Art
Mural Painting
La Vida
Street Art Museum Amsterdam
Author:
Alaniz
Artist Bio:
The artwork is located in Confucius playground in the "rotating wall" conceded to SAMA.
Place:
Geuzenveld
Date:
2020
Technique:
brush
Material:
Wall
Acquisition:
Commission
Completed:
2020
Condition:
Good / Legible
Physical Description:
Alaniz's work is distinguished by the skill with which it is produced, as in the case of his previous works Tolerance or Safety. In keeping with the artist's tradition, the emphasis is on the ability to create a photorealistic portrait of the chosen narrative scene, capable of dramatically and intimately narrating the scene. In this case, the act is divided into three distinct but equally important scenes, representing the three moments of growth during the first 1000 days of life.
The use of chiaroscuro is very important: the ability to use the possibility of chiaroscuro with black, white and grey is a skill already appreciated in other works by the artist for the museum, such as Safety.In this work, the chiaroscuro allows the volume and details of the characters' faces to be emphasised, allowing not only realism but also a virtuosity typical of this artist when creating street works.
Iconography:
The work depicts a young father embracing his child, a little girl in schoolgirl clothing with her back to her writing, and the belly of a pregnant woman from which the figure of the unborn child can be seen.
The iconographic meaning of the work centres around the narration of the first 1000 days of a child's life, as requested by the Fred Foundation and graphically represented by the the coursive inscription "Het belang van de eerste 1000 dagen". In addition to the three figures (the foetus, the baby kissed by his father and the little girl writing) representing the cycle of growth, this theme is also addressed by the presence of the four seasons and the typical Sloterplaas plants depicted in the mural, which underline the organic cyclical nature of human development from the earliest days of life.
It should also be noted that the subjects of the mural are metaphorically the residents of the district themselves, thus underlining the social and civic commitment of the work and the initiative within the environment where it is created. The title itself was chosen collectively, thus making the residents participate in the artistic action.
Gallery
