United Nations Mural on Cathedral Building
In Downtown Oakland where Broadway and Telegraph Avenue converge, a tall dynamic portrait of women with pigeons captures the pedestrians' eyes. The mural, composed of a combination of different patterns and patches of colors, is vibrant and energetic. It has the warmth and friendliness of a quilt blanket. Located at the back of the Cathedral Building in Downtown Oakland, the United Nations Mural was painted in June 2015 by Zio Ziegler to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations. Despite the fact that the artwork was commissioned by an organization outside of Oakland, the artist's close attention and awareness to the location allowed the artwork to harmoniously fit into the local community.
The interview with the artist in the article "A message of peace and prosperity: The United Nations 70th anniversary mural" shows that Ziegler was not only thinking about the artwork itself but the context it would be put into depending on the location the mural and its commissioner. The article states that "Zio tends to be careful about who he collaborates with, but partnering with the UN was exciting to him, describing the organization as one he feels does good work and has infinite potential.". The artist is aware and careful with who he collaborates with, and is willing to connect with people through artwork.
Furthermore, he actively engages in the decision making of where to place the artwork. The article describes "the original plan was for the mural to go up in San Francisco. But Zio, who is a native of Marin County, worked in tandem with Oakland, California, based Athen B. Gallery to secure a location in Oakland instead." Zio says that "I like painting in areas where the most eclectic, diverse range of people will see it and have a story to tell about it." The artist was aware of the location the artwork was being placed, who will be accessing it. Ziegler's choice allowed the locals to benefit from the artwork.
Moreover, the artwork does not target a specific class of the community. It is there for everyone to see. Indeed, the artwork celebrates the diversity of the local community. Zio intentionally covers the face of the portrait in a "checkerboard pattern, suggesting a range of humankind's varying skin tones." Unlike most contemporary public art, which transforms places into a civilized space where only those considered appropriate can access, Ziegler's mural allows "the poorest visitor and the richest to have the same sense of belonging." The artwork connects the local people and the location.
This shows that Ziegler's work breaks away from "the elitist belief in high culture" and the application of it in public art. It is not meant to only satisfy the upper-class. Ziegler's piece may not be the most high-tech or innovative compared to other public artworks put up in the Mission district in San Francisco. But it is aware of what public art is supposed to be and what it is supposed to be for - to serve the public, not for showing off how wealthy the company is, or what technology they possess.
But on the other side, it is hard not to admit the fact that it is the financial background Ziegler had that allowed him to make more active choice on this public artwork. Firstly, Ziegler already is a successful and recognized artist whose work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Also, being the son of founders of Banana Republic, it is clear that he did not need to worry about being financially unstable for not following what the commissioners asked for and losing money he could earn. He can focus on what he truly believes is right and purely pursue his artistic choice. This might not be the case for all the artist in the community. At the moment, the society does not seem to have a structure that allows all artists to focus on just their art and the public needs - not the commissioners' needs.
Zio Ziegler's artwork shows that the public art can serve the people better when the artist wishes to engage in the local community and the commissioning organization actively supports the artist's choice. But at the moment, it seems that not all artists are situated in a position where they can freely engage with the public and make choice that what benefits the local community the most, instead of following the instruction provided by the commissioners. It is important for both the artist and the commissioner to not forget the purpose of public art, but also society needs to create an environment for artist that will allow them to feel stable enough to only care about their artwork. read more
