El Naufragio (the Shipwreck)
A colossal ribcage of wood juts out from a vivid yellow landscape. Has it been there decades or centuries? This sweeping mural unearths themes of nature, unrest and the passage of time.
ArtMongers gained permission to paint this gigantic wall several years before the pieces finally fell together to make it happen.
The wall, situated on an abandoned piece of land outside of Valencia, is so big that a crowdfunder was needed to raise the necessary funds to paint it. We eventually raised £1300 to help cover costs such as paint supplies, scaffolding and feeding our volunteers.
Apart from the size, this mural differs from most ArtMongers projects, as it has been created outside of our usual participatory process.
Just like we all need an occasional rest from our routines, the opportunity to take a break from working with a client or community group offers a much needed reset for ArtMonger’s lead artist and creative director Patricio.
Like many ArtMongers murals, this design emerged from closely observing the shape and feel of the wall, and how it interacts with it’s immediate beachside location.
This wall is extremely long, with five small windows punctuating the expanse. Sitting adjacent to a large stretch of sandy beach; the sound and movement of the nearby sea is woven deeply into the visual experience of the mural.
The scene depicts a shipwreck. A ship’s skeleton half buried in the sand, broken down by time and the elements.
This is an imagined catastrophe, but it could be in reference to many real life scenarios, stories and histories.
Maybe it is a metaphor for the multitude of present day tragedies that are unfolding around the globe; unnecessary war, famine and conflict. The emptiness of the decaying ship could reflect the empty promises of international politics and their deadly consequences.
The design is purposefully open ended, able to be interpreted in many ways.
The dreamlike colour palette and blurred horizons, invoke something closer to a memory of a tragedy rather than something specific or recent.
This offers the viewer a slight distancing from the subject matter, and space to contemplate how time warps and changes their own perspectives
Some of our memories are smoothed over by the passage of time, others completely buried.
While investigating how best to bring this concept to life, Patricio made a maquette shipwreck from clay and observed how it interacted with light. This detailed study brought life and luminosity to the design.
As a result, the final mural seems to vibrate with light and texture.
This mural reminds us of the power of slow, gradual change. Things may look one way now, but in a few years, time will allow new perspectives to emerge, evolve or erode away.
Will you let the shipwreck be forgotten?
