“If you had a choice between these two powerful vehicles of communication – a spectacular art of destruction, or a spectacular creation that spoke eloquently of your anger and alienation – which would you chose?” – Ron English
Created in 2011 and spanning twenty seven by eleven feet, Ron English’s Grade School Guernica is a modernized twist on Picasso’s work, maintaining the somber monochromatic scheme. Painted onto the wall of the West Bank, English’s mural is fascinating for a number of reasons. Grade School Guernica is one of the most refined and crisp murals on the wall. The hyperrealist style adds a level of complexity to this commentary on twenty-first century warfare. The viewer is placed into this seemingly futuristic dimension- the grid pattern on the floor suggests the figures are playing some type of game while the downward and inverted perspective creates a sense of three-dimensionality. Interspersed with futuristic elements, this composition suggests this blend of old and new warfare has normalized violence to such an extent, a seemingly unphased young boy is piloting the jet. English maintains three pertinent motifs found in Picasso’s original- the bull, the wounded horse, and the evil eye.
Political Murals of Bogside and Palestine