Art Murals in Central Phoenix. (hotel, live, parking)

[gliu953]

Do they improve the area or cause blight?
I'm kind of in between but there are some fascinating ones.

[WSPHXPELON]

Originally Posted by gliu953

Do they improve the area or cause blight?

They improve the area, no question.

[exit2lef]

How could a mural approved by the property owner cause blight?

[Bondurant]

Cause blight? These murals are sanctioned by the property owner. This isn't brainless tagging.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by exit2lef

How could a mural approved by the property owner cause blight?

Very easily. You don't see any of this so called art in the heart of downtown (Central & Washington), but more in the areas where there are old, abandoned, or run down structures. To me, it's nothing more than elaborate graffiti. My question to the property owners is: why keep the old, dilapidated buildings in place when they could easily be replaced with something nicer and more modern which don't need painted murals to draw attention? A lot of those buildings are not exactly historic or worth saving. The above photos might be artistic to some, but I see an opportunity to tear down those buildings and put up some nice midrises or highrises in their place!

[exit2lef]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Very easily. You don't see any of this so called art in the heart of downtown (Central & Washington), but more in the areas where there are old, abandoned, or run down structures. To me, it's nothing more than elaborate graffiti. My question to the property owners is: why keep the old, dilapidated buildings in place when they could easily be replaced with something nicer and more modern which don't need painted murals to draw attention? A lot of those buildings are not exactly historic or worth saving. The above photos might be artistic to some, but I see an opportunity to tear down those buildings and put up some nice midrises or highrises in their place!

Actually, there's a very nice mural at Central & Adams, just one block north of Central & Washington and visible from that intersection.



Murals like these exist not because the buildings on which they are painted are old and dilapidated, but instead because there's surface parking, a vacant lot, or a much smaller building next door. The mural enlivens the blank wall caused not by the immediate property owner, but instead by the underdevelopment of the adjacent land. In most cases, tearing down the buildings that host murals would only make the problem worse.

Murals can also be used to decorate alleys. Alleys are important to urban vitality because they take back-of-the-house functions like trash collection and deliveries off the street, creating a better experience for pedestrians. Where alleys exist, murals can add color without compromising function. This mural is found in an alley behind the Renaissance Hotel, also near Central & Washington.

[Burning Madolf]

The power of City Data! Solving the age old question: "Is this art?"

[kytoaz]

Blight?

[JGMotorsport64]

They take an often redundant and mundane city and liven it up.

[locolobo13]

Art is always subjective. Some of the murals I love, some I like and some I don't care for.

BTW downtown in the alley between Washington & Adams, 1st St & 2nd St, are a lot of murals. Some good ones there.