DESIGN & INTERIORS
One such recovery is of an avant garde mural painted for a staircase by Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati for the for the SS Ausonia in 1956, while another from the same ship is titled The Pharaoh’s Feast, created by Giovanni Majoli for the first-class dining room. The themes, styles and emotions of these two murals are poles apart, but each was commissioned to bring a particular feel to the indoor spaces of the ocean liner.
“Murals are a vehicle for unique
characterisation of indoor spaces, that reflect the people who live, work or visit there.”
Even after the decline of the passenger liner was eclipsed by the dawn of the cruise, ships have continued to work mural art extensively into their onboard décor. The MS Deutschland makes wide use of classical-style mural art in its lounges, dining rooms and theatre, while the Brilliance of the Seas boasts some very traditional maritime mural works. The individuality of interior design on board ocean liners has even been recognised by the Victoria and Albert Museum’s current exhibition, entitled Ocean Liners - Speed and Style.
Mural myths Of course, being typically found in such grand locations as ocean liners and cathedrals does nothing for the mural’s opulent reputation. Many consider mural art to be the playground of the rich and famous, who can afford the time and expertise of a professional artist to personalise
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their walls, and this misconception is a contributing factor to the mural’s lack of real comeback.
By employing the services of a live artist, they can tailor their approach to any style or budgetary requirements, using their creative versatility to deliver a unique product that meets the needs of the client. When comparing the one-off cost of hiring an artist - and all the years of experience and skill they give you for the fee - with the mass-produced vinyl wall art substitutes that saturate online stores, whose lack of durability, quality and uniqueness make for a short lifetime, real mural art emerges victorious.
Of course, the more commercial and formal settings like clubs and hotels begin to break out of their comfort zones and explore more interesting interior design ideas, the more mural art and its endless possibilities begin to be recognised. This isn’t to say that mural art is the exclusive territory of public spaces, though. Although it may have been largely limited to children’s bedrooms in domestic settings, the boundaries currently encircling mural art need to be broken for it to be recognised as one of the most personal and expressive forms of interior decoration.
Now is the time for decorative painting and mural art to see a revival, by breaking free of the inaccurate associations it is often held to. Murals are no longer for the ceilings of cathedrals or the walls of stately homes, or just for telling a story or exposing societal injustice. It is a vehicle for unique characterisation of indoor spaces, that reflect the people who live, work or visit there - a literal blank canvas, waiting to be explored.
www.lovegrovemurals.com TOMORROW’S FM | 53
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