Design Study 2 by Anthony Prentice

Introduction:
I decided to do my design study on some of the intriguing murals in Philadelphia. My tour is not so much of a circuit, as it starts you off at 17th and Green and ends inside of the Italian market. There was not so much of a reason to start at 17th and Green Street, as the mural that was originally there that I wanted to be a part of my study has been erased by the tearing down of a building, however there was still an equally interesting mural across the street from it. That being said, I wanted to end in the Italian Market because I feel thats one of the most interesting parts of Philadelphia, uniquely Philadelphia in fact (There are few open air markets left in the United States, none however as famous).

Map:





View Mural Art Philadelphia in a larger map

Communication:

Participants will use there cell phones and internet capable phones to blog about each mural they encounter. This is not so much about reading what is there about the mural, which is why there are no descriptions on any of the murals that you can pull up in the map. The way the participants interact is by making their own asumptions and narratives on the area through the use of an open source blog, much like a twitter or blogger account. The participant will view the murals as they go along, and send what they interpret of the mural to the site. How it makes them feel, what they think it does for the neighborhood, and the significance of the mural itself. Much like what they've done in the Toronto example, participants can either contribute, or take in, information about the mural. Very much like Wikipedia however not as patrolled and regulated.

Rules and Triggers:

Participants are encouraged to take their time and just follow the map, so there are not any rules such as only go up numbered streets or anything like we've done before. The walking tour is meant to take time, and people are able to go at their own pace. As far as trigger points, the Murals are all big enough that they can clearly be seen, therefore negating the need for any sort of trigger points other than the cross streets that are referenced in the map.

Narative:

The narrative for each place is in what others have contributed and what you can take from each mural. For example, when you look at the Wilt Chamberlain mural, you can read the interpretations that others have posted. You can also take time, step back, and make your own idea of the place around. There are no right or wrong narratives for this area. Factual information is not needed, just what the place does to you, how it moves you. These murals are meant for bringing meaning in and of themselves to the areas they occupy. Aside from urban rejuvanation, they are there as an art form, and the artist wants the people to take from that place an idea of that setting and that mural.

This whole Idea is meant to evoke a sense of urban pride in those around the city. Most of the time we drive by these works of art, barely taking notice of their meaning or importance in that area. I've even witnessed jokes about murals being in bad neighborhoods only. It's sad that people drive around and can't take in the beauty of what some of these murals represent, such as family, integration, and hope. Take some time, and look through some of the murals on the tour. Each trigger point on the map has pictures of the murals that are on the tour, and when one finishes the tour, they can take in the surrounding area of the Italian market and all that has to offer.