Street Artists Raise Awareness with Coronavirus Murals
04/06/2020
Discover
Even as most people around the world are in some form of lockdown due to the coronavirus, graffiti artists are taking to the streets—cautiously and keeping social distance, of course—to create colorful murals of hope.
In Los Angeles, one mural reminds us that “love is standing six feet apart,” while another takes a lighthearted jab at toilet paper hoarding.
caption id="attachment_51368" align="aligncenter" width="1024" A work by Adrian Wilson, paired with work by Jilly Ballistic. Photo by Adrian Wilson./caption
And in Dublin, an abstract work challenges the government response to the spread of COVID-19, a separate issue that most nations are facing during the pandemic.
"I'm trying to deal with my own anxiety, and my own feeling of being disempowered," artist Jeremy Novy told LAist. "We don't know what tomorrow holds — we're kind of sitting here waiting — and making art and putting it up makes me feel like I'm somehow empowered over the situation."
Sara Erenthal, an artist in Brooklyn, NY, told Artnet that her creative outlet has helped her—and, hopefully, others—cope with the global crisis. “There’s something about the street that keeps me thriving,” she said. “I needed it for myself, but I think it is a gift for everyone.”
caption id="attachment_51369" align="aligncenter" width="1024" A coronavirus-inspired street art piece by Sara Erenthal. Photo by Sara Erenthal./caption
The elephant in the room here is that both making and viewing street art break the advice of staying inside to stop the spread. But we’re not here to police; we’re just here to appreciate. At the very least, we hope everyone can enjoy these and other street murals seen globally from afar.
A work by Adrian Wilson, paired with work by Jilly Ballistic. Photo by Adrian Wilson./caption
A coronavirus-inspired street art piece by Sara Erenthal. Photo by Sara Erenthal./caption