Graffiti 5: Ocean Beach Mural

Ocean Beach Community. 2011. Painted Mosaic. 4905 Newport Ave., Ocean Beach.

This cycling-themed mural is found above a parking lot right off of Newport Street in Ocean Beach. I was immediately drawn to it because in the center, framed in a bike tire, is a bright all-orange bicycle with orange tires like the ones that popped up in La Jolla. The space is a horizontal, framed rectangle that has been installed against a stucco wall. It is hand painted in soft colors with a brushes, done in a painterly collage style, showing bicyclists, a surfboard, a dolphin, all along a winding blue stream or path.

This piece is part of a mural project started in 1999 by Ocean Beach local artist Rich James, “As a way to beautify OB and instill a sense of community”. ("Murals of Ocean Beach ") Since then, there has been a new mural painted every year. Each mural is made by all types of artists coming together at the annual Ocean Beach Street Fair to paint individual mosaic-like squares. The whole process is a community project. The mural is not done by one person, but instead is a collaborative effort coming from the Ocean Beach community. This particular mural was done in 2011. It is full of people riding bikes and has signs written such as “share the road” and “bike route”. This type of street art is commissioned and community based. It is meant to share a positive message with the public that encourages safe bike riding. This mural is helping to define the community of Ocean Beach. In the book Graffiti and Street Art, Waclawek discusses how public art interacts with the community. She writes, “The ambition behind new genre public art - to represent, interact with or speak to a specific community, in the hope of forging a meaningful relationship between artist and audience - has some ways moved the discussion away from the work itself to accountability”(Waclawek, p. 79) With bright colors, bikers, surfers, words that spell “Ocean Beach”, the message in the mural is clear, without hidden agenda or political agenda. It sends only a positive message to the public - encouraging them to bike more, and to be safe around other bikers.

Waclawek described how colors, font choice, letter and word forms influence the meaning of a piece. She discusses artist Eine of London, England and his two pieces: one of them painted with “Anti Anti Anti” in black, white and grey; another piece across the street painted with “Happy” in bright colors. The two very similar pieces convey totally different feelings and emotions when looking at them. The mural above is much more like the “Happy” piece. This mural is not only colorful, but has a playful, child-like style, and sends a positive message about encouraging bike riding. Another choice might have been to create a mural that was dark and said “NO CARS” instead. But that may have defeated the message.

Works Cited:
Ocean Beach Mainstreet Association, "The Murals of Ocean Beach ." Accessed July 27, 2013. http://www.oceanbeachsandiego.com/mainstreet-association/murals-ocean-beach.

Waclawek, Anna. Graffiti and Street Art . Thames & Hudson , 2011.