The illustrative arts in San Francisco are well-represented, ranging from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, to the Cartoon Art Museum and the Friends of Photography at the Ansel Adams Centre. During my first visit to the city, I was both surprised and delighted at one aspect of the art scene which doesn’t receive a great deal of publicity, the amount of “free art” that was available for all to see, both on the streets of the city and at the major tourist attractions. Some of this art has been created amidst great political controversy regarding US involvement abroad and political unrest in the city itself.
There are nearly 600 murals in San Francisco with the richest concentration located in the Mission District. This area has been predominantly Latino since the early 1970s. Balmy Alley in particular has some of the oldest Mission District murals including early works of members of the Mujeres Muralistas, a group of women artists who pictured the beauty of their culture. While their male counterparts were painting conflict using violent imagery, the Mujeres consciously focused on subjects that people enjoy and celebrate on a daily basis. Some murals of the PLACA group are here too (Placa means to leave a sign, make a mark). PLACA was a group of artists whose murals spoke out against U.S. intervention in Central America and the continuing struggle for peace in that region.
Julian has written articles on Middle Eastern and European architecture for the US magazine Skipping Stones. He has written travel articles that were published in The Toronto Globe and Mail, Fate Magazine, National Catholic Register, and Northwest Travel. Julian has also written articles for the In The Know Traveler, Go Nomad, InTravelmag, and Go World Travel websites. He has also taken many photographs that have appeared in travel guides by National Geographic, Thomas Cook and The Rough Guides. Examples of his work can be found at http://www.photographersdirect.com/sellers/details.asp?portfolio=13734
Loads of great art in San Francisco