Acclaimed International Artist Faith XLVII completed recently The Unbound Mural Project for UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, CA covering two sides of a building at the corner of Golden Gate Ave and Hyde Street in downtown San Francisco.
Thematically, The Unbound is born from Faith XLVII’s personal feelings of frustration of today’s sociopolitical context. Watching the disharmony, the dismantling of human rights and the continuous struggle for equality is exhausting for everyone paying attention. Her work, represents he own way to deal with the problem so she can keep going.
For this new piece, Faith XLVII spent some time doing research about the symbolism of the white flag and the history of the peace manifesto. Through the years, peace Manifestos have taken many forms, with voices spanning from scientists protesting the use of the atom bomb, to greenpeace and worker parties to women rights associations. In this way, they ended creating their own manifesto, trying to keep it as empathetic and objective as possible.
The location of the mural is in the heart of the tenderloin, according to the artist, an extremely troublesome corner in San Francisco with meth being dealt and heroin being injected openly in the street. As expressed by Faith XLVII, “spending the week there was deeply saddening and further entrenched the significance of how much work needs to be done. There is a dire need for the funding of social series and mental health care in the USA. For humanitarianism of all forms. So first, we need to open the heart, and then we need to make social changes so that people have support the planet is sustainable.”
The mural – and the peace manifesto – doesn’t intend to express the belief in an idealistic future. Even though the artist often feels overwhelmed with cynicism, she thinks that we have to push for the betterment of the future, for the sheer love of the planet and for each other. The civil liberties that we have, were fought for and we need to be vigilant in this time to protect them.
The poetic versus beneath each flag are adapted from ‘The Cosmic Doctrine’ by Dion Fortune. The words speak of an existential search, for essentially, this is the root of our suffering and confusion.
Avalon of the Heart
The Building of The Atom
The Beginnings of Consciousness
The Beginnings of Mind
The Creation of a Universe
Evolution Upon the Cosmic Planes
Influences Upon Humanity
The Natural Laws
The Law of Polarity
Influences Acting on Human Evolution
The Law of Action and Reaction
The Evolution of Form and Mind
The Evolution of Consciousness
The Evolution of A Solar System
Developing the Power to Communicate Thoughts
The Manifested Universe
Images courtesy of Brian Greif and Zane Meyer from Chop Em Down Films
Author: Fran
Founder and editor of Urbanite. Street Art lover who after the finishing her MA thesis on the Mexican and Norwegian muralist movement in the 1920-50s, developed a fascination for street art and graffiti that eventually led to collaborations with different art blogs, including the creation of this one.
