A few weeks ago I received few images of this new mural by David de la Mano, painted in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Titled “Before the silence” and curated by Itinerrance Gallery with the support of the town, the new piece is a metaphor of the allied struggle during the events that occurred in the Second World War in Saint-Nazaire.
As a major submarine base for the Germans, Saint-Nazaire was subject to a British raid in 1942 and it was heavily bombed by the Allies until 1945. Being one of the Atlantic pockets, Saint-Nazaire was one of the last territories in Europe to be liberated from the Germans, on 11 May 1945.
As a major submarine base for the Germans, Saint-Nazaire was subject to a British raid in 1942 and it was heavily bombed by the Allies until 1945. Being one of the Atlantic pockets, Saint-Nazaire was one of the last territories in Europe to be liberated from the Germans, on 11 May 1945.
The piece intends to symbolise the hardship the town went through during the war by depicting a series of human-like figures marching towards a big and dark wave.
Although the pieces are not alike, they almost work as negatives of each other, being a good example of David de la Mano’s work characterised by a monochromatic imagery often depicting silhouettes of surreal human-like creatures that encourage emotions and ideas through a minimalist aesthetic.
His silhouettes are used as narrative metaphors, through which he expresses poetic and personal visions of our human condition and the ways human perceive the world.
His silhouettes are used as narrative metaphors, through which he expresses poetic and personal visions of our human condition and the ways human perceive the world.
Photos © Martin LAUNAY / Ville de Saint-Nazaire.
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.
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