Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Brooke Daly
The mural “Art Saves Lives” by Antonio Paso is located on the back of the art gallery,
“PSA Art Awakenings” in Rosevelt Row. This art gallery is intended for people with mental
illnesses to express their creativity and artwork. The CEO Sara Marriott speaks why she created
this warehouse, “I love art history. I love the master artists and know that many had suffered
from behavioral health issues. When the idea came up about helping people improve their mental
illness by creating art and selling art, it seemed like a good idea. And it caught on.” This gallery
gives everyone the opportunity to improve their mental well-being by creating and expressing
Visually, this mural is eye-catching; it consists of multiple colorful images that makes
one have to stop to view it. At a first glance, it is not clear as to how all of the symbols on the
mural are interconnected, but they all contain powerful meanings that portray the same message.
The overall theme of the mural appears to advocate respecting the Earth we live on, as well as
promoting the idea of expressing creativity to everyone. The majority of the mural consists of
bright colors such as blues and greens, and the bottom left of the piece is darker; it depicts outer
space. In addition, the mural contains multiple details which makes the painting pleasing to the
eye.
The primary object that stands out is the woman in the center who is blue; she perhaps
represents Mother Nature. She consists of multiple shades of blue and her hair somewhat
resembles ocean waves. Perhaps, the author’s intention in making her hair look like waves is to
emphasize the importance of protecting the ocean. It is often polluted and many creatures who
live there are in danger because of it. This message appeals to Kairos in the fact that it speaks to
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the idea of preserving the oceans, which is a necessary fact for people to be aware of.
Furthermore, Mother Nature is facing toward the left, notably towards the darker portion of the
piece, which could symbolize evil things in the world. She also appears to have a very neutral
facial expression. She seems to be watching over all of humanity in order to monitor things that
happen in society. Mother Nature faces the portion of the painting that is darker, but she is also
looking at the piano and some paintbrushes. This enhances the fact that she watches over the
Another object that attracts the attention of the viewer is the hand which lights a candle
on top of planet earth. The flame is seen to emulate a spark of light in a dark background. This
speaks to a larger message that art brings light to the darkness, or in other words, art
overshadows evil things in the world. Wrapped around the arm is a message that says ART
SAVES LIVES. This is an interesting intention by the author to have the title of the mural as a
symbol of the entirety of the mural. Visually, this portion of the mural displays how art truly has
the ability to bring joy and happiness to a place filled with darkness. Outer space is in fact
literally an infinite space that is dark. On another note, this message stands out to the audience
and also appeals to Pathos. It makes the viewer feel connected to the entire mural and could help
someone also want to invest in creating art to improve their life. It can make the audience seek to
An image that prevails in the mural is the black-painted man walking upstairs. The stairs
appear to have formed in the middle of space and its ending is not defined in the mural. This
symbolizes how creativity has no limits, there is free reign to produce anything one wishes. Also,
the individual steps are a light green color, while the side is a fiery orange shade. The symbolism
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of this man walking up the stairs could mean he is walking towards heaven. Perhaps creating art
makes one feel like they are in a place that is like heaven because it is so freeing to release
emotions and feelings through any form of artwork. Furthermore, it is interesting to note the
space he walks into contains clouds of purple mist and he walks with an image that resembles the
sun.
Finally, on the opposite side of the mural on the right, exists a man and woman painted
green, attached to a tree branch. They are both a solid green color so they could represent all of
humanity since the painting does not specify who exactly they are. Notably, the posture of the
man and woman are differing. The woman appears to be relaxed and free, whereas the man is
stagnant and firm. He also appears to be firmly holding onto the tree branch and seems to try to
hold the woman back with him. Perhaps, he is afraid to stray away from the roots that grounded
him and does not like to face change. This symbolism could resemble how people can be fearful
to express their creativity, but it is important to do so because it can truly bring one joy. The
woman seems to depict what it means to have the courage and show off your artwork to the
world.
This mural, Art Saves Lives, is the visual representation of what the company wants its
customers to know about the institution. It helps better the mental state and being of individuals
in a way that allows them to find pure joy in creating and displaying artwork. The colorful mural
that exists on the back of the gallery catches the attention of a viewer and makes them want to
understand the symbolism behind the images painted on the wall. Perhaps it makes someone
want to invest in taking time to find their inner artist, or it could make someone contemplate
Graham, K. (2017, July 14). Art Awakenings: Saving Lives With Art.