Symbols And Colors - "Wall Of Hope" By Andria Linn
The Wall of Hope is a mural located on a wall of the 9th Street Bakery in Durham, North Carolina. It was completed in 2007 by artist Andria Linn. This mural is a bright and joyful exploration of community, diversity, and hope. It consists of images of multiple people standing in two lines, holding hands along the bottom forefront of the mural. Above these people, there are three large faces and multiple large hands placed throughout the top two thirds of the image. In addition to this, there are six white doves scattered within the mural. The mural has a bright, natural background, including green hills with a brown pathway, colorful flowers, trees, and a white house outlined by a frame of the same color. The green grass of the hills is contrasted by a brilliant blue sky. Finally, the entire mural is lined with a border of footprints.
Linn endeavored to create this mural to influence and relate to all members of Durham’s community, and more broadly, to all members of any community. Through her art, Linn reminds the audience of the importance of a supportive community and the positive impact it can have on individual lives. She also seeks to celebrate the beauty that diversity brings to human relationships. It is important to note when analyzing the purpose of this mural that it was created as a fundraising project for Threshold Clubhouse in Durham. Threshold is a non-profit organization that provides care, support, and opportunities to those in the Durham community struggling with mental illness. Knowing this, it is evident that Linn created this mural especially for those who feel disconnected from their communities because of a difference in mental function.
Linn uses her mural to help eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness despite its prevalence in society, as well as the isolation it causes for those struggling with such illnesses. As suggested by its title, this mural is a beacon of hope for those battling mental illnesses, and a reminder that they don’t have to fight alone. The artist herself has struggled with mental illness, so this work comes in part from her personal perspective. Linn lives in Durham, and travels across the US creating and displaying many different works of art. Her style of art is bright, colorful, and upbeat, and often includes many natural elements. In Linn’s personal website, she explains that through her works of art she seeks to “symbolize relationships, community issues, or matters close to the heart. ”
The overall theme of Linn’s Wall of Hope is that a true community possesses the strength to improve the lives of its individual members, particularly those who are disconnected from others by mental illness. Linn powerfully utilizes symbolism, color choice, and exaggeration to create a piece of art that spreads a message of the strength and hope that is found for all members of a supportive and inclusive community.
Linn’s expert use of symbolism in her mural allows her to store a wealth of meaning behind the images she chooses to create. There are many symbolic images in this mural, one of which is the two lines of people holding hands. Each of these people has a happy and calm facial expression. The figures hold special significance because of their location in the bottom center of the mural, and also because there are many of them. Linn uses the people to create a visual representation of the positive. unifying effect that mutual support can have on individuals.
Another symbolic image in this mural is that of the dove. The six doves scattered throughout the mural catch the audience’s eye with their white color amid a rainbow of other hues. These doves symbolize peace and are used to convey the peace that comes from seeking support from others. Linn also creates stunning symbolism through the placement of several large hands. The hands that are holding each other in the left midsection of the mural symbolize caring and friendship. The open hands in the right midsection of the mural and the hands reaching towards each other and around the lines of people in the bottom and middle center of the mural symbolize reaching out to others and acceptance. There is also a pair of hands clasped together and raised in front of a large face in the top left corner of the mural. This hand gesture is seen as symbol of respect in many cultures. The hands are a prominent aspect of this mural because of their size and their placement throughout it. Each of the hands works together to represent the characteristics of an ideal community, one that is reaching out to those in need, providing friendship, and showing respect to everyone. The footprints in the border of the mural are symbolic of each individual member of a community walking together through all aspects of life. These footprints hold tremendous significance to the creation of this piece of artwork, because they were the footprints of members of Durham’s community, including those of Bill Bell, who was the mayor of Durham at the time. They connect the mural to a physical community and are a reminder to those who feel distanced from others in some way that they do not have to walk alone through personal trials. Ultimately, Linn’s goal in using symbolic imagery in this mural is to remind her audience that they are part of an interconnected community.
Linn’s incorporation of color in her mural affects her audience by appealing to their sense of pathos and highlighting the beauty of diversity. The background of this mural is filled with a wide range of vivid colors. The green and blue of the grass and sky and the pink flowers placed diagonally across the mural provide a bright backdrop to its focal points, which are also painted in varying colors. These focal points, the people holding hands, are all wearing brightly colored clothes. Linn’s choice to use color in abundance is significant because of color’s ability to affect emotion. Bright and varied color is often associated with happiness and levity. Linn uses this connection between physical color and abstract emotions to convey to her audience that happiness and hope should be available to everyone, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for those who are going through dark times in the course of their struggle with mental illness.
Another crucial color choice in Linn’s mural is her creation of people and footprints on the mural’s border with different shades and colors of skin. This choice is vital to the explication of Linn’s message because it reminds the audience that anyone can be affected by mental illness, and that all humans need the support of others to thrive. Linn feels strongly that people should be viewed as equal and worthy of respect, no matter their outward appearance or inward affliction. Her decision to create a piece of art linked to mental illness with happy and bright colors is noteworthy because mental illness is usually thought of and portrayed as a sad and heavy topic. Linn’s use of color in relation to mental illness challenges her audience to view it not as a defining crutch, but as something that can be overcome with the right support system. To clarify, her utilization of color in this mural is not intended to downplay the severity of mental illness or the pain it causes those who struggle with it, but rather to convey that there is healing in community.
The exaggeration of certain elements in this mural allows Linn to effectively communicate to her audience that they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Three exaggerated faces lie across the top half of the mural. Their amplified size as well as their location above the smaller people gives them visual weight, making them memorable to the audience. The facial features communicate individuality and diversity. The faces, especially their eyes, convey that although a community is comprised of many people, each one is unique, and should be seen as such. This magnification stresses the importance of seeing a community not only as a unified family, but also as a group of individual people who each bring something special to the whole. Furthermore, Linn is asserting that the people who are affected by mental illness should be regarded as individuals who have stories, perspectives and aspirations. Above all, Linn desires to communicate the merit of recognizing and valuing individuality in a community.
